Deva 02: Academy Blues
by Daishi Prime
Summary: Deva Series 02. Sequel to On The Path of Vengeance. With their probation ended, Hayate and her Knights return to Earth to pursue a more peaceful life. Unfortunately, power brings responsability, which Hayate cannot let go.
1. 01 Groundwork

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

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Author's Note 1: I'm aware there's a third series, StrikerS due out next year, which means that this story, and its prequel (_On the Path of Vengeance_) are now AU stories, instead of just 'what if' aftermath stories. Also, there appears to be a consensus that Nanoha's device is named 'Raising Heart'. I have used the original translation, 'Raging Heart', all along, and prefer it for a variety of reasons, so I'm sticking with what I know works.

Author's Note 2: A majority of characters in this story will NOT be Japanese, so there will be a bit of confusion with the naming conventions. I will try to make most of them clear as to what is a given name, and what is a family name, but I am far from perfect. If there are complaints of confusion, I will consider posting a list of student names, nicknames and other identifiers at the end of a future chapter.

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- Chapter 01 – Groundwork -

Chrono strode down the hallway, studying the data-slate in his hand intensely. The data it contained was innocuous in itself, just a report of readiness states for various ships in his squadron that were currently located at Headquarters. But the fact that those ships, all of them, were all months away from deployment presented him with an aggravating scheduling problem. Scanning the list again, he muttered to himself, "Dammit, Nanoha, why'd you have to break my ship?"

"It's not your ship anymore, Chrono-kun," Amy reminded him, "you passed command to Fate last year, remember?"

Chrono glared at her, but she was long used to him and just smiled back. "She still shouldn't have broken it like that."

"It was a training accident," Amy said, still looking amused, but at least amused at something else. "Admittedly, they should know better than to have one of their all-out 'training' bouts on ship-board, but the engineers have been assuring us for years those containment fields will hold any level of magic. Also, she and Fate never have been very good at keeping track of their own strength, so it's not really their fault they overloaded the containment fields."

"But it puts a hole in my deployments," Chrono muttered, returning to the slate. "With _Asura_ in repairs for their playing about, _Valkyrie_ damaged by that anomaly off Secan, and _Rhondheim_ and _Deva_ both damaged restraining that nutcase in Van Sole, I'm down four ships, and I've got nothing to replace them with. That's a problem, a big one."

"Relax, Chrono-kun," Amy said, pulling the slate out of his hand. She had followed him again when he left the _Asura_ to Fate, and was still treating him like her kid brother, but she was also the most effective assistant he had ever seen. "Things are relatively calm right now, and we have plenty of ships. We can speed up a couple of the refits, and spread the load between the operational members of the squadron. They can cover the gaps well enough for a couple months."

Chrono sighed, nodding, but he hated when things did not go according to plan, and was even less happy with the lack of a reserve. "I guess, but that's going to screw up the readiness rates for the operational ships, and speed up their maintenance cycles... gah, why did I ever agree to a desk job."

"Because your mother asked you to," Amy said, "and it was the only way to get Fate command experience any time soon. So you..."

She was cut off by a shout, and the sound of someone jogging behind them, "Admiral Hallaoun!"

Turning, Chrono saw another admiral, one he was unfamiliar with, moving with almost unseemly haste. The man stopped when he joined them, taking a moment to catch his breath before introducing himself as, "Admiral Jing. I needed to talk with you, if you have a few moments."

Something about the man set Chrono's nerves on edge immediately, and it only took him a moment to realize what it was. 'Admiral' or not, Chrono could tell that Jing had never served a day outside of Headquarters – there was a softness to his face, voice and stance that no field mage would ever retain past their first mission. "Concerning what subject? I'm rather busy at the moment, Admiral Jing."

"It's about the Yagami girl," Jing said, disdain dripping from his voice, "and her familiars."

"Hayate?" Chrono said, ignoring the misconception regarding the Velka as not worth the trouble to explain, "what about her?"

"Yes, I would like your assistance in dealing with this... project of hers."

Chrono frowned, somewhat confused at why another Bureau Admiral would be interested in Hayate's new job, now that her probation was officially over and she no longer had to work for the Bureau. "What about it? It is a private enterprise, outside Bureau jurisdiction."

"This project of hers is unbelievably dangerous, Chrono! Something like this is an invitation to disaster, possibly even on the scale of Alhazred, given the girl's demonstrated power and uncontrollability. It would be too dangerous to permit even if it was undertaken by a proper mage, let alone a reckless child such the Yagami girl. I have my doubts about ending the probation those five should be under, and even more about allowing them to depart Bureau Service, but those are minor issues. Allowing this farce..."

"Stop right there." Chrono could feel his own temper spiraling in reaction to Jing's arrogance and prejudice, and made no attempt to hide it. "The Yagami case has been mine from the start, Admiral. Execution of sentence for Yagami Hayate and her knights was placed in my hands, and I judged that sentence fulfilled. Such judgment was confirmed by a full tribunal review, per Bureau procedures and laws. If you have a problem with that judgment, take it up with the tribunals according to the proper procedures."

"I have already..."

Chrono rolled right over him, raising his voice only slightly, "but if you ever insult her or her knights again as you just did, I will personally _break_ you, _Admiral_. I guarantee Hayate has done more for this organization than you ever have or will, as have each of her knights, individually and collectively. As for her project, it is a private enterprise, on a non-signatory world, and thus beyond the Bureau's jurisdiction. Thus it is no concern of yours. But in the interests of settling your obviously sensitive nerves, I assure you that Yagami Hayate knows far more about magic, lost logia, dimensional dislocations, and the dangers of her craft than you do, as she has been working with the most powerful examples of all such things in the universe for almost a decade. I suggest, Admiral, that you remember all of that before you voice complaints about her or her 'project' where I can hear them."

Jing looked almost as insulted as he was afraid. To his credit, he actually had enough gall to continue, "Admiral Hallaoun, I assure you, I am only concerned by a potential danger. Better to prevent dislocations, than attempt to contain them after they occur, yes?"

The fear in the man's eyes helped Chrono get himself under control. "I assure you Admiral, every precaution that can be justifiably taken has been. There is no need to concern yourself with Yagami Hayate or her knights. Now if you don't mind, I have actual _work_ to do, and very little time to do it in."

Without another word, he turned and continued stomping down the hallway. Jing technically outranked him, but Chrono was the descendant of one of the Bureau's greatest martyrs of the past half century, and was both a hero himself, and a leader of heroes. It would take more than seniority to earn a respectful attitude from him, or to intimidate him. He could hear Amy matching his pace, but all his attention was focused on the arrogant admiral now receding behind him.

Eventually, his grumbling became audible. "I can't believe him! She's bled for this damn place, worked for years! She saved us from the Tome, from Akira, what the hell does that fool think he's doing questioning her?"

Amy put a hand on his shoulder, "Chrono, calm down. He's a prejudiced old desk-jockey, nothing to get worked up about. We knew there were people opposed to letting Hayate, Shamal and the others go, for a lot of reasons."

"It just grinds my gears, listening to someone like that..."

"I know. But at least he's not in Fleet Operations, so we won't have to deal with him." Chrono blinked, then looked at Amy questioningly. She shrugged, "He's in admin, personnel. He can give us trouble, but too much and he'll be risking his own job when we complain about lack of response interfering with operations. High Command won't stand for someone causing problems for Operations."

"Yeah, I guess." The convoluted thought processes necessary to realize that did not come naturally to Chrono. He still thought of himself as a field mage, a direct type of person. Fortunately, he still had Amy to keep his head on straight. "Why the hell did I take this promotion?"

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Four women and one massive blue dog walked slowly through the lines of granite and marble markers, heavily wrapped against the chill drizzle of an English spring. They walked as a group, but one walked a yard or so ahead of the others. They came to a single gravestone, set somewhat apart from its neighbors. It was further distinguished by the still fresh-turned earth stretching before it, waiting for the sod covering that would blend it with its neighbors.

Stopping at the foot, Hayate bowed her head as Signum, Shamal, Vita and Zafira arrayed themselves behind her. She could sense Signum's watchfulness spread over the cemetery, and Vita's discomfort with the quietude Hayate had requested, but she set those aside. Instead, in the manner of her homeland, she clapped her hands twice, to gather the attention of the departed, and whispered a prayer for the dead.

Proprieties observed, she crouched to place a small bouquet of flowers on the grave. "I will Miss you, Graham-sama," she said, speaking softly, for his ears rather than her knights'. It was hard, trying to speak to him without crying again, but she had shed her tears at his funeral, and would not again until she had told him what she was here for. "Whatever you may have been for the Bureau, whatever you may have been for everyone else, you became a part of my family these past nine years. You gave me my knights, my friends, far more valuable than all the money or resources. I could never repay you for that, grandfather.

"I cannot repay you, but I can repay the world. I thought of this after talking with Takashi, about myself, Sara and Nanoha. Such powerful mages cannot have come about in isolation, it is inconceivable that a world with no mages could produce so many powerful individuals in so short a time. There must be others, Terrans with magical abilities that they never recognized, never trained. I will find them, Graham-sama, find them and teach them. Control, responsibility, the cost of their power and its joys. Thanks to you, I now have the means to do it, as well.

"We found a stretch of land in Japan, south of Kyoto, and thanks to what you left me, I have already begun building. We even have the support of the Japanese government, if you can believe that, they have already granted us the licenses necessary. Now all we need are the students, and Signum and Shamal are already building our invitation list. The school will be small, to start, but I have hopes, plans." She was struggling now, to finish, but she struggled on, "I wish you could have seen it. I would have valued your advice and assistance more than almost anyone else's. But it was not to be, and I will Miss you all the more because of it, Ojii-sama."

She stood, and turned, only to be swept up in Shamal's embrace. She broke down crying then, pulling herself tight to Shamal's welcoming warmth. She was not sobbing, this time, but Admiral Graham truly had become her grandfather, the somewhat distant but kindly patriarchal figure that nonetheless provided her guidance, help, and that sense of continuity and protection that was so much more valued for having been missing from her life for so long. His loss, especially just as she was stepping out from under the Bureau's protective umbrella, was devastating, almost crippling, if not for her Knights.

When she had cried herself out again, she pulled away from Shamal, just enough to look up into her green eyes. "Thank you, Shamal," she whispered.

"Daijobou," Shamal answered, tear tracks visible on her face as well. The blonde pulled a handkerchief out of thin air and gently cleaned Hayate's face for her, drawing a mild, pro-forma protest. "Are you okay?"

"Hai," Hayate whispered, "I just..."

Signum's hand settling on her shoulder distracted her. "You do not need to explain, Mistress," her Sword Knight told her, "we understand."

It nonetheless took a few moments to gather herself together, before they turned to go. When they reached the edge of the parking lot, where the car they had rented waited, there were two more women waiting, one leaning against another car, the other standing nervously just next to her twin. The only oddities were the cat ears rising from their hair, and the fact that both of them still wore a modified version of a Bureau uniform. Personalities and uniforms aside, Aria and Lotte looked terrible, lost and dejected, hurt far more than Hayate was, which was understandable. Hayate had lost an adoptive grandfather, they had lost their creator and master.

Hayate kept going right past her car, and ignored the two's attempts to greet her, in favor of pulling Aria into a hug, reaching past her to take Lotte's hand as she stood from the car. "Aria, Lotte, I'm so sorry for your loss."

Lotte took her hand, but just shrugged, ears drooping a little further. Aria pulled Hayate tighter. "Thank you, Hayate-san."

"He left you everything," Lotte said, "everything that was his."

Hayate blinked at her, not understanding for a moment, then felt the blood rush out of her face. "Kami-sama, that includes you, doesn't it?"

Lotte nodded, but it was Aria who told her, "yes, if you wish. We will not..."

"I won't let you wander around lost," Hayate said, feeling the weight of yet another burden settle on her shoulders. Part of her railed against the idea. She was already responsible for her Knights, she was going to be responsible for an as yet undetermined number of students, she did not need two more, familiars in truth, to look to her for guidance and orders. But these were Lotte and Aria, her grandfather's proudest creations, and friends in their own right. "I won't abandon you."

"They can help," Signum commented, "unlike us, they have experience in training mages."

The twins turned as one to lock their gaze on Signum, saying in unison, "Training? Who?"

"I'm building a school," Hayate told them, then gave them the details. Explanation finished, she added, "Signum is right, we could use someone with experience in teaching. It would mean moving to Japan, but I think the two of you would do well."

"We've only ever trained Chrono-kun," Lotte whispered, "and he already knew the basics. That's not so much experience."

"It is more than we have," Hayate said. "Signum, Shamal, Vita and Zafira helped train me, but most of what I learned came from Reinforce."

"And Nanoha and Fate," Vita added. "It'll still be good to have you two around. With a couple of cats to chase, the brats'll leave me alone."

"Then we will go with you," Aria said, already looking better. Familiars, especially those who had been in service to one master for so long, needed to have a master, needed that hierarchy. It did not make them slaves, but without it, even the most extroverted and independent familiar would slowly become depressed and lost. "Whenever you are ready."

"I have one more place to visit," Hayate whispered, stepping back finally, "after that, we can go."

"Stonehenge," Vita muttered, "I know why you like the place, but do we have to go there every time we come to England?"

Hayate shook her head, reaching out to ruffle Vita's read hair, drawing a protesting noise. "Yes, Vita, we do have to go there every time. It's tradition."

"Will Takashi be there?"

Something in the tone of Shamal's question was odd, but Hayate couldn't place it, it was so subtle. It took her a moment to initiate a scan of local space, then she shook her head, "no, he is not nearby."

"It still bothers me that he'll let you find him, but no one else can," Signum muttered.

"He does not let me find him, Signum," Hayate corrected, giving Signum a fond smile in response to her protectiveness, "Because I don't find him. I find his power, which he cannot hide from like power. Come, we need to return the car before we can go to Stonehenge, then home."

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Lindy Hallaoun strolled along the path, taking her time to enjoy the sights, scents and sounds. It was just a wide path of dirt through the trees, winding down into the valley from where she had left her car, but she could sense the potential in the area. She paused at a curve in the road, where the trees thinned to let her look over the small fold of land alongside a low mountain. She could see below her a few areas cleared out of the woods, but not as many or as large as she would have expected.

The frames of two buildings were visible as well, looking mostly complete and quite substantial. Only one building was complete, a small lodge set halfway up the far side of the valley. It was not very far away, not half a mile in a straight line, but it was also distinctly separate from what was becoming the campus. Considering the lodge, and its placement, Lindy nodded, whispering her thoughts aloud, "Good, she'll have someplace private, away from the students."

"Mother?"

Lindy turned her attention from the lodge to smile, "Ah, Fate-chan, I didn't hear you come up behind me."

"Gomen nasai, Mother," Fate said, returning the smile, "I just wondered what you said."

Lindy indicated the valley with a sweeping gesture. "Just thinking about where Hayate had them build her house. It's distant enough from the campus to give her some privacy. I know she loves having people around her, but she will need someplace private, and so will Shamal and the others. There were any number of times I was very glad to have that private suite on the _Asura_. Admittedly, this will not have the same pressures as commanding a Bureau ship, but still."

"Hayate-chan will be carrying a great weight," Fate finished for her. "But I think she will handle it well. She did well aboard the _Asura_, but I think she will do better here. There will be more people, and she will no longer have to destroy to make a difference."

Lindy gave Fate a considering look. "Do you really believe that, Fate-chan? She will have to fight all the harder, now, and there will be no support from the Bureau for this."

"Nanoha and I will always help her whenever she needs," Fate protested.

"Yes, and Chrono has already mentioned that he intends to leave the _Asura _assigned to this patrol sector. But you both have your responsibilities, and the Bureau will not allow you as much leeway as they did when Hayate was in uniform. Then, there is the danger she will be responsible for. One of her arguments to keep the Bureau from interfering was that she would take responsibility for preserving magical order here. She wants to run her school, but she is now responsible for the entire planet. She and her knights can handle it, but it will still be difficult at times for her."

Fate considered what she said for a time, looking over the valley and seeing now what her mother had. The narrow valley, covered in forest, surrounded by mountains, was remote, in feel if not in fact. Fate knew, from the initial aerial reconnaissance that had lead Hayate to pick this valley, that there were two train lines within a mile of the valley, and that one passed through a tunnel actually cut through the mountain which formed the valley. The city of Kyoto was not all that far away either, a thriving metropolis that, while smaller than near-mythic Tokyo, was nonetheless a great Japanese city. Despite this, standing just over the rise from the parking lot, Fate could easily imagine herself to be on a remote and nearly uninhabited world.

"This is her retreat," Fate said, "even the school itself will be."

Lindy nodded, "Yes. She chose well, though I do wish she had chosen someplace more defensible. She could easily have acquired T'ai Shan, or any number of old European or Asian fortresses, and still had the distance and privacy she will need."

Fate smiled, but shook her head. "No, this will be perfect for her. Remember, she has always lived in a city. Out here, she can be truly assured of privacy, as there will be no buildings, no alleys, no place for an intruder to hide. Here she can focus on her school, instead of her worries."

"I guess," Lindy was unsure, in truth. She could, intellectually, see how someplace this remote could be restful, but she herself preferred to have the constant sense of contact and presence of life that cities gave her. "Come, she wanted us to keep an eye on the construction, let's go see how they're coming along."

The walk down was easy enough, a series of gentle switchbacks that descended the sloping wall of the valley to the floor, and from there wound through the woods to the construction site. The remoteness, and Hayate's insistence on minimal impact to the surrounding forest, meant that only the smallest of construction vehicles and equipment could be brought in, so there was very little of the expected noise and smell to warn of their arrival at the campus proper. Only a sudden thinning of the woods, and a three-way split in the road, one continuing straight, one branch leading off in an arc to right and left.

Three buildings were going up, widely separated but still close enough to be visible to each other through the thinned forest. Lindy pulled out a map as she and Fate walked down the central path, past stacked construction materials, comparing the proposed arrangement to what was actually in place. "Main classrooms and labs in that building," she said, pointing to the largest structure. It looked to be the most 'institutional' of the trio, though even that was probably too harsh, given the level of control Hayate was exerting on the project. Several floors tall, and perhaps a hundred meters on the long side, the inner frame, roof and outer walls were up, though still showing the bare construction materials.

"Main dormitory," she pointed to another, more completed structure, that looked more like a house than a dorm. It was the lowest of the three, only two stories, stretching back into the woods further than it was wide. The walls and roof were board and tile, instead of the stone and glass facade of the other buildings, with individual shutters on each window, and a multitude of doors. While it looked to be almost sinfully spacious by Japanese standards, it was also presented the simplest external appearances.

"And finally, the library and offices," Lindy said, stopping in front of the building furthest from completion. This one merely suggested its eventual form, as only the foundation and outer frame were assembled. At present, the site looked almost grotesque, with bare steel beams sitting on a concrete slab, but that was rapidly changing. Even as Lindy and Fate watched, the construction crew was settling one of the first interior frames into place, bolting and welding the steel to the existing framework.

"They'll have the interior frame finished by noon tomorrow." The man who spoke did so in oddly accented but understandable Japanese, and turning Lindy found herself looking at the last thing she ever expected to find in Japan. He was easily over six feet, built like a brick wall, and his extremely short hair was very light blonde. He was walking over from the direction of the dorm-house, and already had one hand extended to shake. "Thomas McClure," he introduced himself, "contractor and foreman."

Fate moved to stand between Lindy and McClure, shaking the man's hand. "Fate Testarossa."

McClure nodded, giving her a friendly smile, then turned to Lindy, "That would make you Lindy Hallaoun then, correct?"

"Yes, I am," Lindy nodded, reaching out to shake his hand as well. "Forgive my surprise, Mister McClure, but..." She trailed off, uncertain of how to mention it without being rude.

"Wondering what a gaijin's doing as foreman at a job this important?" He continued the friendly smile, taking any sting out of the words. "I used to be a US Marine, ma'am. Served a lot of years here, helped straighten out a pretty nasty situation. Liked the country, when my hitch was up, I moved back. Friend of mine hooked me up with a job, which I've kept improving on since." He looked around, taking in the work crews at all three buildings, "Gotta admit, though, this one's right interesting. Lady Yagami's got some crazy ideas, but damn if they don't work."

_A US marine? What in the world is that? I'll have to ask Amy when I get back to the Bureau,_ Lindy filed the information away before replying, "yes, Hayate does have an intriguing way of looking at things, which is why we're here. She wanted us to check up on the place, and give her our opinions. Would it be possible for someone to show us around?"

McClure nodded, "She told me you'd be by, names and all. She did mention a third woman, ah, 'Arf'?"

"Arf is taking care of other business," Fate said, "assisting friends of ours elsewhere." Suzuka and Arisa were moving into an apartment together for their next year of college, and Arf was filling in until Fate could finish here.

"Good enough, where would you ladies like to begin?"

McClure proved to be not only friendly, but knowledgeable and careful. He flatly refused to allow them into either the main building or the library, given that there was still heavy-lift going on in both, but was more than happy to point out details from the edges of the construction areas. He was willing to allow them into the dorm, though he did keep them to sections where no one was working. At first, Lindy had a vague sense that he was trying to hide something from them, but his direct answers and willingness to explain eventually convinced her that he was simply overly-concerned with their safety. She briefly thought of reassuring him as to her ability to protect herself, and Fate's ability to protect everyone at the site, but decided against it. School of magic or not, this was still a restricted world by Bureau regulations, so use of magic, even if she was off-duty, was forbidden outside of life-threatening situations.

All in all, Lindy had to admit she was impressed. While the crews were only ahead of schedule on the dorm, neither of the other two buildings were actually 'behind' yet. For all the limitations imposed by their lack of heavy equipment, the crews were moving at a good pace, and McClure was certain they would finish all three buildings ahead of schedule. The first, Hayate's house, was actually complete and ready for occupancy as soon as she returned from England, with guest rooms aplenty. The structures were all demonstrably solid, and McClure even demonstrated a workable knowledge of the earthquake-proofing Hayate and Yuuno had adapted from Bureau technology.

The big surprise came as, several hours later, they were wrapping up the tour. Standing in front of the dorm, once again considering the entire picture, McClure commented, "I have to admit, I was a little worried about you ladies. The guy Lady Yagami had come out here day before yesterday, he was disturbing."  
"Guy? Who was this?"

McClure blinked at them, then narrowed his eyes in sudden suspicion, "Little guy, brown hair, fit but not built like I am. Japanese name, Takashi, but didn't look Japanese."

"Takashi," Fate repeated, voice somewhere between a hiss and a sigh. "Why was he here?"

"I didn't show him much. Lady Yagami didn't mention him, so I told him to take a hike, but... he was real strange. He came out of the back of the valley like it was nothing, went back as well. Reappeared a couple times during the day. Never did anything but stand around and watch, but..."

"He has a rather disturbing presence, at times," Lindy said, trying to be reassuring. "His presence is a surprise, Mister McClure, but not a concern. We knew he would be coming by at some point, but we thought he would wait until Hayate was here."

McClure frowned, "He a friend of hers? 'Cause if not, I know some people who'd be more than happy to have a talk with him about... intruding."

Lindy smiled, amazed at the protectiveness all her girls seemed to inspire in everyone around them. "Yes, he's a friend of hers, though probably not of anyone else's. She saved his life once, achieved justice for him when no one else could. He was probably making sure you were honest, and that her school would be as well protected as possible."

"I don't like him just showing up like that," Fate muttered, "he should know better than to show up without warning."

McClure was obviously confused by the mixed signals, "What should I do if he shows up again? Personally, I don't like having him around. He disturbed the men, disturbed me, and we don't need that, but if he's a friend of Lady Yagami..."

"For now, ask him to leave and come back when Hayate returns," Lindy said, "if he even appears again. Takashi has a habit of disappearing for long stretches of time. If he wants to stay, however, let him. While he's relatively harmless if left alone, he can be quite dangerous if he feels he is being threatened or challenged. Hayate will deal with him when she returns."

McClure did not look pleased at that, but he nodded. "All right, guest of Lady Yagami then. Gotta say, he's a lot creepier than I would've expected from one of her friends."

"She has all sorts," Fate commented, then asked, "Why do you keep calling Hayate 'lady'? She's not of noble descent, no Terran titles."

McClure chuckled, and gestured at the half-finished buildings. "Lady Yagami has had a personal hand in all of this, from design to construction. She helped, in little ways, with as much as we'd let her. Her aunts helped out as well. Made friends out of the lot of us. She's polite, sweet, easy to listen to, easy to talk to. Something of a worrier, but not bossy about it. She doesn't act like the boss or the 'rich girl', despite funding this place out of her own pocket. It just didn't seem right calling her 'miss', and a couple of the men started calling her 'Lady Yagami' behind her back, though we'd all appreciate it if you didn't tell her that. She keeps telling us to call her 'Hayate', but that wouldn't be respectful, now would it?"

Fate smiled in reply, "No, I guess it wouldn't be."

"Thank you for your time, Mister McClure," Lindy said, reaching out to shake his hand, "we'll probably be back before you're finished, after Hayate returns."

"No problem, Ma'am. Feel free to drop by before then, if you've still got questions. I know everything that's going into these buildings, and when, so I should be able to answer any questions. I promise, I'm putting my own best into this. Lady Yagami said she's considering one of my boys for classes here, and I don't want him seeing anything less than my best, you know."

"We'll keep that in mind, Mister McClure. Thank you again."

She and Fate began heading out, back up the main path, content to simply walk for a while. Once they were around a bend, however, Fate called Bardiche, and teleported the two of them to the top of the path. "I don't like Takashi coming here unannounced, Mother," Fate said as they climbed into the car. "He is unpredictable, and still dangerous."

Lindy sighed, nodding agreement. "True, Fate-chan, but... he is Hayate's friend and protector, and he has done nothing wrong since she released him from the Hellblade."

"That we know about," Fate replied. "He keeps disappearing, and no one knows where to."

"Hayate knows. Trust in her, Fate, she knows more about him than even he does, I think."

Fate sighed herself, then nodded. "I'm just worried about her. He's not even close to human anymore, and who knows how much he's been damaged by being trapped in that sword for decades."

"I'm worried as well, for more reasons than just Takashi. But, she is strong, tough, and she has the Wolkenritter, and us, whenever she needs help. And unlike some of us," Lindy poked Fate in the shoulder, "she will actually admit when she needs help."

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	2. 02 By Invitation Only

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

-Chapter 02 – By Invitation Only-

Hayate considered the PDA in her hand carefully, checking both the time and address again to be sure she had both correct. From what she could tell, she did, but she was never certain when navigating a foreign city. The last time she had tried with witnesses had been rather humiliating. _I can find my way across the galaxy with little more than my staff and sword, but get lost in Terran cities. It would be ridiculous, if it weren't so embarrassing._

This time, however, she had arrived fully prepared. Post Road, Exeter, Rhode Island, United States of America. She had used on-line maps to locate her destination precisely, then to select a nearby teleport point, someplace out of the way, but close enough to make a short walk, and also verified the time-change from Kyoto. So, she was fairly confident she had the right place. Part of her wondered what they would make of her arrival, this far into the New England back-country without a car, but as she had discussed with Shamal and Signum in planning these meetings, such inconsistencies could be used to prove her point.

She paused at the foot of their driveway to study the house for a few moments. It was about what she had expected, given the family history. Father was a mechanic and fireman, mother was an ER nurse. Not rich, but not poor, a practical family that had, if she was reading their records correctly, shown past hints of magical aptitude. The house itself was built partially into the side of a hill, first floor open on two sides, the top floor even with the top of the hill. It occupied what was, to her urban Japanese sensibilities, an obscene amount of land, a couple of acres, most of which were covered in trees. Sitting atop the cinderblock wall that held the hill off the end of the driveway was a large white dog, staring at her, remarkably still and silent, tied to a long lead-line behind the house.

Starting up the path, she checked her own appearance quickly. Good pants, nice blouse, light jacket over that, all in her trade-mark white. She was breaking her normal rules slightly, carrying Reinforce in staff-form openly, instead of in her reduced pendant form, but it would again help her arguments. She was hoping to avoid mentioning the Sword of Light, fearing it would be misinterpreted, but it was always with her, if she had need of it.

The dog was growling before she was a third of the way up the drive, a deep rumbling sound that easily carried. To her surprise, he did not bark at all, even when she went out of sight, up the stairs to the front door on the second floor, merely growled. She found the door bell, and rang it once, waiting patiently. She was early, but only by a few minutes, and a moment later a rather large man appeared as the inner door opened.

"Good afternoon, I am Hayate Yagami," she said, blessing Yuuno for teaching her all the Terran languages he could find.

He was not particularly tall, but he was frighteningly wide, and massively muscled. He looked her over for a minute, impassive behind a bull-dog like expression. "Jonathan Sims," his voice was deep, but not as harsh as she expected. He pushed open the storm-door, stepping back when she caught it to give her room to enter. "Welcome. Have a seat," he waved at the couch and chairs arranged in the small room just inside the door, "Laura and her mother are down stairs, I'll..." whatever he was about to say was drowned out by someone thundering up the stairs just to the right of the door.

Hayate smiled, watching as a waif-thin brunette bundle of energy exploded up the stairs, rounding the last column by dint of a hand on it and no feet on the ground. The girl stopped there, not even breathing hard, but grinning. "Hey, I'm Laura, you're Miss Yagami, right?" She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, both worn and comfortable looking, long hair loose and wild. Hayate could immediately tell she was a handful for everyone around her.

Hayate returned her smile, giving her a slight bow, "Yes, Laura."

"Laura," her father was giving her a disapproving but exasperated look, "You were supposed to get dressed."

"It's all right, Mister Sims," Hayate told him, "it is better to be comfortable and focused, than uncomfortable and distracted by it."

"She was still supposed to get dressed," someone else commented following Laura up the stairs more sedately. She was, quite obviously, Laura's mother – same lines, same painfully thin appearance, same brown hair. "Hello, Miss Yagami, I'm Laura's mother, Marie."

"A pleasure," Hayate said, again bowing slightly. Part of her knew it was not how Americans greeted each other, but it was ingrained, and she was not trying to hide her origins, only mute them. "Shall we begin?"

--

When trying to locate potential students for her school, Hayate had found herself faced with one serious problem. While Shamal had been able to scry the entire planet in a relatively short time, the criteria Hayate, Nanoha, Chrono and Lindy had worked out were very demanding, and the vast majority of candidates were not, as Hayate had hoped, from Japan. That would make communication difficult, but would also make convincing parents harder, since the school was, perforce, located in Japan.

Yuuno had provided part of the answer in the form of an adaptation of his rapid-reading magics that allowed Hayate and her knights to learn the various languages in a very short period of time. The familiarity would fade, but for the moment they were able to communicate in the students' native languages. That would make explaining easier, and extending the offer clearer.

Given the small number of initial invitations they were extending, Hayate, Shamal and Signum had managed to come up with custom-crafted presentations for each family, and divided in the list of candidates between them. Signum and Shamal were taking half the list, Hayate the other half. Vita and Zafira were supposed to be helping Hayate, but Vita wanted to check over certain security arrangements prior to construction being completed, when corrections would be easier. The trick to each of the presentations had been determining how much of the school's true purpose to explain up front. Since there were so few magic users on Terra, and none were public about it, they would have to be very careful to be believed.

Her presentation for the Sims's was straight-forward enough. She was offering Laura a first-class education in basic terms, on a full scholarship, from her current level to college entrance exams. She was even offering to cover transportation costs to and from home for Laura, for the duration of her education. All in all, it was a great offer, and a great opportunity. But it was also a big risk, and a big change for Laura and her parents, even before Hayate began trying to explain the whole picture.

To her surprise, disbelief was not their first reaction. "Her grandfather's always insisted it was real, showed me some things I can't explain otherwise," Jonathan told her, when she first mentioned magic. "Not sure how much of it's real, but I'm not prepared to disbelieve."

"I can offer you some simple proofs, if you wish. Nothing too flashy, but... proof."

"I'd appreciate that."

Hayate smiled, and lifted Reinforce. The staff had been cradled against her shoulder for most of the discussion, but now she held it out to the side. "Reinforce, wake and appear, please."

It took only a second, and then her right-hand alter-ego appeared in all her leather and tattooed beauty, hands to either side of hers, cupping the staff gently. "Yes, Mistress?"

"Hello again, Reinforce," Hayate said, smiling, "I just wanted to introduce you to the Sims." She did so, introducing each of them by name, but not mentioning that their names and identities would now be stored in Reinforce's memory. There was no need to explain Reinforce's multiplicity of roles.

Her audience was suitably impressed. Since Hayate had claimed the Sword of Light, Reinforce had permanently taken on the appearance of her progenitor's interface. Now she towered over the seated family, statuesque and imposing. Jonathan looked as flat and unperturbed as he had since Hayate arrived. Laura, eyes wide with surprise and delight, was also silent. Marie was the first to regain her voice. "Reinforce? Ah, excuse me, but... um... what are you?"

Reinforce showed no emotion, merely considered the woman carefully. "What you see before you is a solid-state holographic representation of my primary consciousness." She held out the staff, gesturing slightly to ensure it had their attention, "I am this staff, Reinforce, second to bear the name, second intelligent device of the Mistress of the Night Sky, Wielder of the Sword of Light, Yagami Hayate."

"Intelligent device? What is that?"

Hayate fielded that question, "mages traditionally begin by using their own personal energies to accomplish their ends. The thing is, mages can channel more power than they can actually use – there are fundamental limits to the powers an organic mind can control. An intelligent device allows a mage to control all the power they can channel. They are amongst the most complicated pieces of machinery known, each custom crafted by their user. They share a number of fundamental similarities with the computers you are familiar with, but are vastly more capable. Reinforce, for instance, is fully self-aware and self-actualized. Sentient, in scientific terms, a true artificial intelligence."

"So she's that staff," Jonathan rumbled, "built into a computer?"

"Correct, although Reinforce has some rare properties that differentiate her from all but three other devices that I know of. Most devices never attain her level of self-awareness, for instance."

"How... 'self aware'... are you, Reinforce?"

She regarded him steadily for a moment, then explained, "I am Mistress Hayate's device, I obey her in all things. Even when she is being stubborn, or foolish, or childish." Hayate tried not to show how uncomfortable that litany was, and thought she succeeded. Reinforce had not wanted her to come here alone. "Most intelligent devices, however, are incapable of recognizing when their user is behaving foolishly or erratically, let alone taking action to mitigate such circumstances. I am also fully capable of independent action at need, and have used my own initiative on occasion to safeguard Mistress Hayate."

He looked surprised at that, slightly, but then shook his head. "No offense, Miss Reinforce, but she just said you're a computer. A sufficiently advanced computer..."

When he trailed off, Hayate finished by quoting, "'Any technology, of sufficiently advanced degree, is indistinguishable from magic.'" She smiled brightly, "I've found that quote to be rather amusing, these last few years. There is one difference, however, and if Laura is willing to try, I believe I can show you something unequivocally magical."

"Sure!" Laura's answer was both cheerful and quick enough to cut off her parents. Hayate looked to them, and while Marie nodded, Jonathan took a moment to consider, before waving her forward.

Hayate moved to kneel in front of Laura, taking the girls hands and placing them a few centimeters apart over her chest. "Shamal has a quick way of doing this, but it is exceedingly uncomfortable. What we are going to do is draw out your linker core, it is what allows a mage to channel magical energies. Turn your focus inside, Laura. You will find within yourself a central place, a reservoir of energy and place of peace and balance. Find that, and imagine it rising out and floating between your hands. Find your center..." she continued, allowing her voice to settle into a slightly hypnotic monotone, and watched as Laura's eyes slid shut. A few minutes later, the girl gasped sharply, and twitched, as a softly glowing white sphere rose out of her chest, moving to float between her hands. "Open your eyes, Laura."

The soft white light played over the room, brightening it despite the sunny day outside, and even Jonathan reacted with a visible, if minor, display of awe. "That is... Laura's?"

Hayate nodded, "precisely what it is remains debated, by those of a philosophical bent. But this is what allows a mage to channel the energies necessary to accomplish magic. All living things posses linker cores, but most are never truly able to access them, to use them. Some people can learn to access theirs, developing it over years, like any other muscle. A very few, such as Laura and the other students we will be inviting, develop that ability instinctively, and still others have the ability forcibly awoken by outside influences."

Allowing her linker core to fade back into herself, Laura asked, "Which are you?"

Hayate blinked, not having expected that question. "Ah, I am both, actually. My original linker core was activated by 'force', an artifact of great power. Due to a... complicated situation, three years ago it was replaced, with a new linker core, which I originally accessed instinctively, but have since learned to control."

"You can trade linker cores?" Marie sounded very dubious about that. "Like a heart transplant?"

Hayate shook her head slowly, "No, not a transplant. I am still uncertain what, exactly, was done to me at that time, as it was not entirely voluntary. I am still researching it, along with certain friends. But in the general sense, no it is not possible to transfer someone's linker core. Once a linker core is lost, or damaged to the point of failure, it is gone forever. The loss is survivable, but it is not pleasant, especially for an active mage. I was a paraplegic, when I first began learning magic," that got her a pair of extremely surprised looks from Laura's parents, "which gives you some idea of what can be accomplished with magic. But having interacted with mages who have lost their linker cores, I can honestly say, I would rather go back to that time than loose my linker core." She mirrored the position Laura had been in, but with much greater speed brought forth the linker core Sara's legacy had gifted her with. It was significantly brighter than Laura's, a combination of training and inherent power, and unlike the girl's solid sphere, it was an amorphous, shifting mass, but it was still white, bright enough to turn the day outside dark, in comparison.

After a moment, she let it return within her, sighing was the uncomfortable tugging sensation faded, and returned to her seat, Reinforce moving to stand at her shoulder. "That was the linker core I have used for the last three years. It is stable, despite its appearance, and perfectly functional, but it works upon different principles, as does my magic now."

"Then how are you going to teach Laura her magic," Jonathan asked?

"I am not, but there are five other regular teachers who will, and several others who have agreed to spend time at the school as temporary teachers. All of them are of the highest caliber. There is an organization, the Time Space Administration Bureau, which seeks to prevent artificial disasters, contain dangerous artifacts, and encourage peaceful contact between magic users. Until I retired a few months ago, I was one of their top field mages, and arguably the single most powerful mage in the Bureau. The teachers, permanent and temporary, are all either retired or current Bureau field mages. Nanoha, one of those who remain with the Bureau, is also one of the Bureau's best instructors. The quality of the education Laura will receive, in all respects, will be top of the line."

Jonathan and Marie were nodding as she spoke, looking a little dubious at her mention of the Bureau, but seeming to accept the explanation. Laura asked a moment later, "Will I get my own device?"

Hayate chuckled, and shrugged, "That will depend on you, Laura. If your parents agree to let you attend my academy, and you choose to pursue the path of the mage, and you have the requisite willpower and skills, then yes, eventually you will earn your own device. We won't _give _you one, however, you have to construct it yourself."

"I still have some questions before we get that far," Jonathan said. "First off, no offense, but you don't look old enough to be running your own school, let alone to have retired from anywhere. You barely look older than Laura herself."

"And Vita looks younger than either of us," Hayate told him. "In chronological terms, Mister Sims, I am only nineteen years of age. Yet, before I was as old as Laura is now, I had already fought for my soul, my life, and the lives of my friends. I saved the world at age ten, with the help of those friends. I've done it again, several times, saved other worlds you will never hear of. I have fought for myself, for my friends, for populations that never knew I existed. Such things age one quickly. Neither I, nor my friends, are as young, nor as inexperienced, as our chronological ages would lead you to believe. I can, if you wish, provide you with hardcopy of the non-classified portions of my mission logs. They are very sparse, as the Bureau dislikes revealing itself or its operations to worlds as lacking in mages as Terra, but they will demonstrate that I have not had a typical life."

He studied her eyes for a few moments, then nodded slowly, "That, I can believe. I've known a few people like that. Not always nice, but reliable. That scar on your hand's a good one as well."

She looked down, uncertain what he was talking about at first. Then she remembered, and rubbed her thumb along the fine scar over of her left hand and up under her sleeve. "That was actually the result of an accident, not a mission. Problems with our power plant on the _Asura_, the ship I was stationed on, five years ago I believe. It only scarred over because it was not treated in a timely fashion. Others were more badly injured, so I took care of it myself as best I could, and my delay caused it to scar. It has faded quite a bit in the following years, and will fade completely eventually."

"Still something a kid wouldn't have. Which leaves security. I know Japan's supposed to be one of the safest countries in the world, but this is my little girl we're talking about, and I haven't heard a word about security yet."

Hayate nodded, "Security is one of our primary concerns. The most obvious part is the fact that Japan is almost as safe as it is rumored to be. The second is distance. The academy is being built in a pocket valley, quite some distance from the nearest town. The only ground access is by a single one-lane road which is sealed at the turn-off by a drop-gate. The gate is controlled from the campus, monitored by video link.

"While there is no actual fence around the property, we have placed a series of wards, set to trigger on various things, mostly hostile intentions. There are different barriers which can be raised at need, as well, and Shamal and I are working on a self-sustaining teleport barrier to prevent any raids. Beyond that..." she hesitated, taking a moment to determine how to phrase it the most diplomatically, "... beyond that, Signum, Shamal, Vita, Zafira, Reinforce and I are each quite powerful individually, and experienced in diplomacy and defense. Anyone attempting to cause trouble at my academy, in the physical sense, will find themselves facing an insurmountable force. When the six of us left the Bureau, we had all been assigned to a single ship, the _Asura_. They replaced us with a full team, ten 'regulars', and still are short-handed. Believe me, your daughter will be as safe as it is humanly possible to be.

"There is another facet to this, though, that you will all need to consider. Magecraft involves great amounts of energy, power in its most raw form. While we will do everything we can to minimize and mitigate the dangers, there will always be an element of risk. If Laura chooses to pursue the path of the full-time mage, that will be even more dangerous. It is an unfortunate byproduct of being a mage, as there is danger in being an astronaut, a soldier, a police officer... a fireman. As I said, we will do as much as we possibly can to minimize that danger for our students, and Shamal is capable of healing incredible wounds as if they never existed. But we cannot provide a one hundred percent guarantee that Laura will come away completely unharmed."

"But you can give us your assurance that everything you can do, you will?"

"That I can, Mister Sims. Everything within our considerable power will be done to safeguard and educate all our students."

The discussion continued from there for quite a bit longer, details of classes and daily life, schedules and living arrangements. While Hayate had to be somewhat vague simply due to the preliminary nature of the school's physical resources and class sizes, she could still give them a good idea of what life at the school would be like. They already had several class trips and the like sketched out, and a vacation schedule roughed in.

Hayate left with another offer. "Classes will not begin until the fall, when the construction is complete. Once construction is finished, but before classes begin, I would like to invite you all out to see the campus for yourself, if you think you would like Laura to attend. I would ask that you make a preliminary decision before then, but I will not consider the decision to be final until after the visit, when classes start. We will cover your transport and boarding, of course. Please, consider most carefully. I know Laura is eager for this, but consider it carefully. I do not want anyone to regret sending their children to my academy, no matter the reason."

--

Vita stood on the deck of the house, looking out over the trees to see the roofs of the school buildings, arms crossed, Graf Eisen resting in the crook of her left arm. The red dress and hat of her battle uniform felt a little strange, since she had not worn either in several months now, not since Hayate's retirement was officially completed, and the five of them moved back to Terra full time. But the message she had received the day before was not a welcome one, and she wanted to be prepared.

Behind her, leaning against the wall of the house, Zafira appeared asleep, head dropped, arms crossed, immobile save for the rising and falling of his chest. She knew he was not oblivious, however, but relying on senses other than sight to keep watch. His senses of hearing and smell were much more sensitive than any human's, and he was keeping watch with those, while Vita studied the valley with her sharper vision. She had debated having him accompany Hayate to North America, but decided in the end that she would need the backup more than Hayate would.

When a tear in reality appeared in mid air, a few meters out from the deck, opening onto the weird shifting nothing of inter-dimensional space, she stepped back only slightly, right hand swinging Graf Eisen down and out to full extension, left hand pulling a quartet of swallow-flier spheres out of a pocket. Zafira also moved, coming off the wall and gliding to her left. Despite their stances, neither of them attacked when Shimazu Takashi stepped through the rip in reality, Hellblade in hand. He floated there for a moment, as the tear sealed behind him.

"Vita," he said after a moment, nodding a greeting to each of them, "Zafira. Permission to approach?"

Vita glared at him, uncomfortable with his presence here. "Your message was pretty vague, scaly. Why?"

Takashi quirked an eyebrow, then smiled and shook his head, patently amused, which infuriated her even more. "Relax, Vita. I'm not here for any nefarious purpose."

"Then why did you ask me not to tell Hayate-chan?"

The smile vanished, replaced by a slight frown, "Lady Hayate does not need to know I am here, or that I have been here. She would worry, and she has enough to worry about as it is without adding concerns about me to that list."

Vita snorted derisively, "Tche, she worries about you anyhow, serpent. More'n you deserve, I think."

"Probably, gaki," he replied, making her twitch. He held up a hand to forestall her retort, "I'll make you a deal, Vita. You use my name, I'll use yours. I am not here for conflict, but to help."  
Vita wanted to refuse, but despite her dislike for him, she had to admit that, since Hayate freed him from the Hellblade, he had in fact gone out of his way to protect her. It was just... she remembered Akira too well, and what Takashi had been like immediately after being freed. She knew also how strong he was, and how Akira's ruthless violence was close to the surface in Takashi. "Fine, Shimazu. But you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"

He strolled through the air to the deck, stepping onto the landing, and then to the deck. "I am here, Vita, to discuss this school's security arrangements. Specifically, the wards which are being built around it."

Vita glared at him a little harder, "Don't mess with those, Takashi. Hayate and Signum know where all of them are..."

"I'm not going to alter your arrangements," he assured her, "Nor do I wish to know the specifics of those arrangements. I merely wish to ensure that you do not alter mine. I will be building a ring of wards outside of yours, protections of my own."

"That is risky, Shimazu," Zafira said, "building wards outside of wards without proper planning."

"Hence my presence here. Also, my wards will be significantly farther out," Takashi told them, "at the valley edge, rather than around the campus proper. Much as those I placed around her house in the city."

Vita twitched, "You warded the house!? When?"

"After your friend's wedding," he said, ignoring her tone but answering the question, "I felt it necessary to preserve her safety. I will be building wards here, and since you and Signum are in charge of security, I felt it necessary to approach one of you. Much as you dislike me, I felt Signum was more likely to unnecessarily worry Lady Hayate. So, I requested a meeting with you to determine where I will place my wards, and to make you aware of them, without worrying Hayate."

"If you are placing wards, we will have to tell Hayate," Zafira said. "Even if we do not, she will notice them herself."

"Telling her after they are in place is fine," Takashi replied easily, "I merely wish to avoid having to explain to her why I feel they are necessary. You probably know better than I do that she does not take very well to others attempting to safeguard her."

Vita considered that for all of half a second, "You just don't want to talk to her, do you?"

Takashi twitched, ever so slightly, then what was almost a grin flowed over his features before they settled back to their normal neutral flatness. "No, I do not want to speak to her. She has a habit of asking questions I am not ready to answer. But, regarding the subject at hand, are you willing to cooperate with me in the placement of my wards, or am I going to have to try and sneak them past you, as well as her?"

"The valley ridgelines should be fine," Vita said after a moment, "but I'm going to want some more details than just 'wards'."

"Fair enough. Allow me to explain..."

--

"The schools here in Qatar are quite good. I have gone to great lengths to see to that. So I am uncertain why, precisely, I should send my youngest to your school?"

Shamal nodded her understanding, "of course, Sheika, Qatar's educational system is a triumph. But as we have said, the Yagami Academy has certain curriculum which are... unique." The two of them had been closeted with Sheika Mozah Bint Muhammad Al Hurra, wife of the Sheik, for over an hour, explaining the basic features of the school, and the public information regarding its creation. Now, however, they came to the most delicate part. This region of the world was not known for its tolerance, despite the progressive reputation of the Sheika's husband and nation, so this had to be handled in the most delicate manner possible. "Are you familiar, Sheika, with current theories in physics regarding the structure of reality? Specifically, the concept of overlapping dimensions and parallel worlds?"

The polite interest the Sheika had been displaying wavered, disbelief showing clearly for a moment, and Shamal felt simultaneously amused and saddened. The amusement came from her belief that the Sheika was now concerned that she was talking to a pair of crazy women. The sadness came from the fact that she was about to deceive the Sheika, whom she had come to respect more and more as she studied the family. "I am familiar in a general manner. Dimensions of higher and lower energy surrounding our own. There are supposed to be twelve dimensions, if I recall the most recent publicized work."

Shamal raised one hand, rocking it back and forth. "I am afraid we have access to more advanced studies in the matter, which render the subject... murkier. The definition of what constitutes a 'dimension' becomes blurred rather quickly. Suffice it to say, Lady Yagami has discovered a methodology whereby it is possible to draw energy from manipulation of the barriers between dimensions, the sub-structure of space. The science involved is very complicated, very advanced. That is what we would be teaching your son, Sheika, how to accomplish those effects himself, how to control that power, and how to use it wisely."

The disbelief returned full force and more, displayed openly on the Sheika's face. "You want to teach my son how to... manipulate the barriers between dimensions?"

"We can give you a demonstration, Sheika," Signum offered, "a small one, given the current surroundings. The technology involved is already widely differentiated, with a variety of uses."

"What sort of demonstration?"

Shamal held up her hand, regarding the rings that adorned her fingers. A mental nudge, and one ring slowly spun out a line of golden chain, catching the Sheika's attention. As the chain slowly spread itself into a two-meter circle, Shamal explained, "If you like, Sheika, I can show you what your son is doing at this moment?"

The Sheika tore her eyes away from the ring, and looked at Shamal, slightly less dubious and more curious now. "Certainly, Miss Shamal."

Shamal nodded, and focused on Klarer Wind. "Klarer Wind, scrying display." The space within the ring filled with white, a soft mist that faded into being. "Locate subject, Yussef bin Hamad Al-Khan." The mist flowed through several colors, then settled and stabilized, showing a classroom from the front. A single teacher stood between the view point and the collected students. There were about twenty of those, all boys, sitting stiffly in their chairs, uniforms sharp, attention focused on the teacher before them. "I believe that is him," Shamal said, pointing to one of the smaller boys in the class, dark haired and dusky-skinned, black eyes sharp. Of all the boys, he was the only one looking directly at the view-point, which Shamal dearly hoped the Sheika did not notice.

The Sheika was leaning forward in her chair. "Yes, that is him," she said, reaching out hesitantly.

Before she could touch the scrying ring, Shamal twitched the line that lead from her hand to the ring, drawing it closed. When the woman looked at her in surprise, she explained, "My apologies, Sheika, but touching the scrying surface... the side-effects would have been unpredictable." _Honest truth,_ Shamal told herself, _who knows how that class would have reacted to your hand appearing in mid air?_ "Safety is the first thing we drill into everyone who learns of this, both their own safety, and the safety of those around them. We tend to be... obsessive about it."

"The potential for abuse is great, the potential for unintentional catastrophe almost as great," Signum added. "Thus, the reason we do not advertise, do not publish, and why attendance is by invitation only. We wish to do everything possible to ensure that those who have access to this knowledge use it wisely."

The Sheika studied the two of them for a moment, then asked, "You do not think that is impossible? Knowledge, once formalized, is impossible to keep contained or suppressed. Numerous regimes have attempted that in the past, yet all have failed, often spectacularly."

Shamal fielded that answer, "Correct, Sheika, and we are not attempting to suppress any knowledge. We merely wish to control the rate at which it is released, to make sure those who posses it are aware of its power and the attendant responsibilities. The knowledge will, eventually, be released, however by the time it is, we hope to have a sufficient number of people properly trained in its safe use to limit, perhaps even prevent, any damage."

The Sheika was nodding, "Understandable, though I question how successful you will be. Still, you are offering this to my son, to my country? I thank you for that honor. Contrary to what you might think, I understand the risks you are facing in coming here, in making this offer. Especially given how much what you just showed me resembles magic."

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Signum stated, "that does not make it magic."

The Sheika smiled at that, "Arthur C. Clarke. A wise man, in his own way. I will have to think on this, discuss it with my husband, and with Yussef."

"Of course, Sheika," Shamal agreed easily. "We did not expect an answer today. We are inviting all those we approach who are interested to visit the campus the week before classes begin, to be sure that the students are comfortable, and that the families are comfortable with our arrangements. We will provide transport if you wish, though your security people will probably be more comfortable if they are allowed to make their own arrangements for such. You have our contact information, if you wish to arrange another meeting, or for details of the open house."

"Yes, and thank you for the invitation. I will remember you, and let you know our answer as soon as possible."

--

Hayate waited at the head of the road, where the campus road let out into the small parking lot that bordered the highway, with her Knights arrayed behind her. All of them were in their full battle uniforms, and unlike most of the meetings she had been to, Hayate had both the Sword of Light, and Reinforce, slung over her shoulders. Uncommon as it was, she drew comfort from their presence.

"I am still uncertain we should be doing this," Signum murmured, as the first of several expensive-looking cars rolled slowly into the lot. Two other, less impressive, vehicles were already parked to one side, those who arrived in them below, at the campus itself. Four figures stepped out of this first vehicle once it was parked, as three more rolled in behind them, parking in close order. The passengers were almost indistinguishable in dark suits, dark glasses, with curled wires leading out of their collars to earpieces. "As much of an honor as it is, allowing her to attend will put all of our students at greater risk."

"We cannot refuse, Signum," Hayate repeated. She knew Signum was merely expressing a concern, not trying to change her mind, but they had been over this repeatedly. Hayate merely put it down to Signum's dislike of armed individuals anywhere near her Mistress, and let it slide. "Besides, it is both a great honor, and a great opportunity. If we accept her as a student, if her family allows her to attend, then we will have the blessing, however quiet and unofficial, of her grandfather. That will give us an unmatchable protection, both here in Japan, and in the entire world."

"I know," Signum murmured, "I just don't like this many guns around you, Hayate. Not in the hands of people I don't know."

"We will be fine, Signum," Hayate reassured her, then strode towards the third vehicle, who's doors were now opening. She waited for the occupants to gather, then bowed, with deep respect. "Welcome, Your Imperial Highness, and Princess Noriko, to the Yagami Academy. You honor us with your presence."

The bow was returned, in very precise and proper degree, by both the princess and her father, who also replied, "Thank you for your welcome, Yagami-san, and your invitation."

Simple formalities continued for a few exchanges, and Hayate was mentally crossing her fingers, praying she did not make any slips in front of so important and august a personage. Once those were concluded, however, she was allowed to lead the Prince and his daughter down the path to the campus. This was the third time she had met with the Prince, but the first time he, or any member of his family had come to the campus. While she had offered to allow their motorcade to drive all the way down, the Prince had declined, requesting that she walk with him down the path. Noriko took a place a few steps back, walking between Vita and Shamal.

The view was beautiful, trees still green from the summer, birds and insects chirping. Hayate's dogged refusal to allow heavy equipment in left many old and well established trees in place, which made the winding road feel much older than it actually was, surrounding them in the calm of ancient and settled forest as they walked. Hayate waited for the prince to begin a conversation, but he remained silent, only considering the roadway as they passed.

It was not until they had reached the valley floor that he said anything. "I understand you will, in addition to teaching here, be maintaining a watch over the entire planet. Something about containing magical disturbances, if I recall."

Hayate almost stumbled, she was so surprised. No Terran government was supposed to be aware of that. "Ah, I'm sorry, your Highness, I was not aware that... those responsibilities were public information."

"They are not," he said, though whether he was trying to be reassuring or not she could not tell. "I know of them because, when you first began the process of creating this school, certain members of the organization you once worked for attempted to convince the government to deny your applications. Another, a Chrono Hallaoun, intervened, and explained precisely what you would be doing."

The fact that someone from the Bureau had interfered that blatantly in her personal life incensed Hayate, but she kept her control. Mentally, she asked, _Shamal, the next time you speak with Chrono-kun, please inquire as to who was doing that. I want to be prepared if they try again._ "Well, in that case, your highness, he was correct. I will not be involving any students, however. Not while they _are_ students, at least. Once they graduate, if they choose to pursue the path of mage and agree to work under the same strictures I and my Knights use, then yes, I will allow them to help. But not while they are students, not under any circumstances."

Shamal's answer was swift, before she even finished her statement to the prince. _Yes, Mistress. I will also find out why he did not inform us._

"What if I asked you to involve Noriko? If she chooses to pursue the path of mage, as you put it, the experience would be most useful." The prince was still showing no emotion, one way or the other.

"No, your Highness, not under any circumstances. It is too dangerous, in too many ways." Hayate made the answer as firm as she dared, trying to make sure he understood she was set on this, without being rude or insulting. After a moment, she continued in a softer tone, "I have buried enough co-workers and friends, I refuse to bury any of my students."

The prince nodded slowly, acknowledging her point, though again she could not tell if he liked or disliked her response. "Thank you for your candor, Yagami-san. How frequent do you think these... side jobs will be?"

Hayate shrugged, "I am uncertain, your Highness. Terra is inactive, magically speaking, so I do not believe they will be too frequent."

"The activity has been increasing," the prince told her, "rapidly. Since approximately ten years ago, when some trouble was experienced in Uminari City. Not a year afterward, the same city experienced similar, more violent trouble. Those two events appear to have awoken the energies of this world, and they are growing. What happened a few years ago at T'ai Shan and Angkor is just one of the more blatant signs of it."

Hayate had to take a few minutes to think about that. The idea literally had not occurred to her, but as she considered both her own awakening, and Nanoha's, what the prince was saying began to make a disturbing amount of sense. "You have my apologies for that, your Highness. The two events in Uminari City... the first was Takamachi Nanoha's awakening, though she did not cause the damage, she contained it. The second was mine, though again, I contained instead of causing."

When she paused, he asked, "And three years ago?"

Hayate sighed, "Three years ago was not the result of any Terra-born mage, but of a search for the pieces of an artifact. I was only peripherally involved in the parts of that tragedy which occurred here on Terra, but my Knights can explain any details you wish to know. I will have to consider what you have said, your Highness, to decide the best method for dealing with it. If I may be forgiven, I have a question for you?" When he nodded slowly, she asked, "how is it that your family is aware of this, when I can tell from this close that your magical abilities are minor and untrained?"

The prince actually smiled slightly, "When next you pay your respects at a shrine, please speak with the priests you find there. You will find that, while they lack the levels of power unleashed in the incidents mentioned, they are mages as well, as is my father. Until you proposed your school, I had intended to have Noriko trained at several temples. Your school provided an interesting opportunity for a different approach, one I am currently inclined to pursue."

"Thank you, your Highness, that is a great honor."

"I still have questions, reservations, however," he added, as they reached the three-way split in the road which marked the campus perimeter, "as does my father. This journey should answer most of them, I hope. You and your people have been very open, very honest with us to date, which I appreciate. Please, show us the schools you have been building, on the land we sold you."

--


	3. 03 Opening Day

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 03 – Opening Day -

To say Hayate was nervous would have been an understatement, possibly of biblical proportions. The young woman was currently striding back and forth in the large living room of her house, the glass doors looking out over the deck and her school ignored as she focused on her feet, muttering to herself intensely. She was in her full mage uniform, black shorts and shirt, white overcoat, black-fringed white hat, normally brown hair and green eyes bleached to blonde and blue by the power she was currently fidgeting with. Crossed over her back were Reinforce and the Sword of Light, both currently quiescent, though the black pearl orbiting about Reinforce's upper end was moving more energetically than normal.

Sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs facing those same windows, Nanoha could not make up her mind whether she should be amused or annoyed. Finally, she settled on amused, "This is why they won't let you make any pickups," she said through a smile, "As nervous as you are right now, you'd probably take them to Headquarters by accident." 'Won't let' did not begin to describe it. Signum had threatened to take the staff and sword with her, if Hayate tried to make any pickups, and Chrono had muttered something about violating Bureau rules regarding safe transport of civilians.

Hayate stumbled to a halt, and blinked at her for a few seconds, almost as if she had forgotten Nanoha was there. "N... nani?"

Nanoha could not help giggling at the utterly stunned look on her face. "Chrono-kun, Signum-san, Fate-chan... remember? None of them would let you make the pickups today. It's because you're so nervous, Hayate-chan. Calm down, relax. Everything's going to be fine. You've got sixteen families coming, they're all but guaranteed to be leaving their children as students, which gives you, what, twice the opening class you expected?"

"Triple," Hayate muttered, "I expected five or six, not sixteen!" She resumed her pacing, but this time her muttering was audible. "I don't know if I can do this, Nanoha. They're all coming here to listen to _me_, to talk to _me_. They're thinking of leaving their children in _my _care, and I'm barely older than any of the students! What if something happens? What if someone attacks the school, or one of them over-channels and burns themselves out? I'm not ready for this much responsibility, Nanoha! What if I made a mistake? What if I _make_ a mistake?!"

Hayate was clearly working herself up to a world-class breakdown, so Nanoha got up and interposed herself in Hayate's path. When the smaller girl, unseeing in her worry, ran into her, Nanoha rocked back with the impact, wrapping the smaller girl in a hug. "Relax, Hayate-chan," she whispered, "you're going to be fine." Hayate's arms came around her, and for a few seconds, they just hugged, Nanoha trying to put as much reassurance into the gesture as she could, repeating, "relax, Hayate-chan, relax."

It took a while for Hayate to calm down enough to let go, and when she did there were tears in her eyes, though none on her face. "Thank you, Nanoha-chan, that helped a lot. I'm still nervous though. This is seriously more people than I expected, and..."

"And you're Yagami Hayate," Nanoha reminded her. "You've done the impossible at least twice before. This will be easy, in comparison. You don't have to fight any desperate battles, no last-minute attempts to save the world."

"All I have to do is turn sixteen kids into proper mages, and give them a normal education at the same time."

"Right," Nanoha replied, still holding Hayate's shoulders, "simple. You can do this, Hayate, you have so many people here to help, and you're so careful, you'll do fine. Come on, they're here willingly, you're going to be teaching them interesting things, showing them an entire new universe. You have the knowledge of what you teach, the experience of life, and most importantly, you care. Whatever comes, you can handle it, and you have Vita, Signum, all the rest. They won't let you down. Now breathe, slowly, deeply."

Hayate smiled, but did as she was told, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Thank you, Nanoha. But I'm still nervous."

"Not so much, though, right?"

Hayate shook her head, "not so much."

"Good, because the perimeter light is blinking." Nanoha pointed at a spot over Hayate's shoulder. On the wall was a small monitor, with a trio of indicator lights, one of which was currently blinking as the monitor displayed a teleport circle forming in the parking lot at the valley edge. "They're starting to arrive."

"Oh, Kami-sama," Hayate muttered, staring at the light, "do I look..."

"You look fine," Nanoha said, "Now shouldn't we head up to meet them?"

"We'll fly," Hayate decided, heading for the doors to the deck, "to get there before they start the walk down."

"Aria and Lotte are up there, we have time to walk," Nanoha countered. "Flying might be too much of a surprise."

"We can land at the last switchback," Hayate said, "Please, Nanoha? I need to fly, it will burn off some energy, help me calm down a little more."

Nanoha shook her head, but followed Hayate out onto the deck. "All right, we'll fly." She pulled Raging Heart from the loop on her back, the paused to watch Hayate. Her friend did not even draw the Sword of Light, merely whispered something under her breath, and with a rustling snap, angelic wings sprouted from her shoulders. Shaking her head at what still struck her as a truly odd way to fly, Nanoha ordered, "Flier Fin," and took to the air herself, as Hayate leapt from the rail. All Nanoha could think of, as the two of them began spiraling up the valley, was, _She can do that without even trying, and she's worried about teaching?_

------------------------------

They touched down at the first switchback, dismissing their flight spells, and Hayate took a moment to settle her features to reflect a composure she did not feel. She could still feel the butterflies going insane in her stomach, but resolutely ignored them. Nanoha's reassurances had helped more than she would have expected, but there was also that part of her that always met any crisis with calm assurance, which came to the fore as the inevitability of this day rolled onwards.

As the two of them walked up the long straight-away to the parking lot, Hayate could see several people milling about, and Aria and Lotte going through their greeting routine. A blue light filled the area, causing the crowd to still for a moment, and her own senses told her it was Chrono teleporting out. She shook off the last of her nerves, gathering her courage around her, then began striding up the path trying to show the sort of confidence she brought to facing other mages.

"I saw you!" Before Hayate and Nanoha could even pass the bars of the drop-gate, a tiny brunette typhoon charged past the obstacle, practically shouting, "I saw you flying! That was so cool! Your wings were beautiful, you looked like an angel. Are we going to learn how to do that?"

Nanoha chuckled behind her, but Hayate felt the need to be somewhat more controlled. "Yes, that was us, Laura," She told the girl, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently, "but please, I need to greet all my guests, and your father does not look pleased at you disappearing on him."

Laura pouted, but trotted back up the path to where her father was glaring at her from behind the barrier. "She's energetic," Nanoha commented, "confident, too. Thrilled by the 'great adventure' she's on?"

Hayate smiled, remembering the first time she met the young American. "She's always like that, I think. Compared to what she was like when I met with her family, this was calm and controlled." she glanced back and grinned at her best friend, "Now do you see why I'm worried? She's strong, too, all of them are."

Before Nanoha could reply, they were passing through the drop-gate, and Laura and her parents were there. Jonathan Sims held out a hand to shake, "I'm sorry about that, Miss Yagami, she got away from us."

Hayate smiled, shaking his hand and her head, "It's all right, Mister Sims. Better an energetic student that needs to be reigned in, than a lethargic one who needs to be pushed. Besides, today is an exciting day, for all of us."

"More like hyperactive," he muttered, then fell into step beside her as she moved to greet some of the other families that were already gathered, Aria taking the other shoulder. "I'm curious, why did... whatever method we used to get here, drop us off up here? The map you sent us shows the campus down there, a half-mile walk, right?"

Hayate nodded, turning serious for a moment. "You were brought here by means of a group teleport spell. For reasons of security, as I mentioned when we met a few months ago, we have built a powerful teleport barrier over the school. This is as close as it is possible to teleport, almost literally. The barrier line lies just outside the gate. It is new, however, so any attempt to open it partially to allow all our guests to teleport directly to the campus would have resulted in the barrier's collapse. It needs time to settle before it can be safely tuned like that, much like a new building – the concrete must set before finer touches can be added. It is inconvenient, and we had hoped to have it in place and adjustable last month, but there were some difficulties with finalizing the barrier's structure."

"Couldn't have waited a few days?" He held up a hand before she could reply, "Sorry, not trying to be rude, just curious as to how all this works."

Hayate nodded, accepting his statement at face value, "It could have, except that powering a barrier this large and this strong drained myself, Vita and Signum rather badly. We would not have been able to conduct classes for several days. Also, the raising of the barrier may have caused the students some discomfort, given that they do not yet know how to shield themselves from powerful workings."

She reached the next family, smiled warmly, and shook the mother's hand, "Misses Van Saar, Mister Van Saar, Juliet, so glad to meet you all, finally. Thank you for coming." and began introducing herself to her new students she had not already met, and their families.

Chrono, Signum, Shamal, Vita and Zafira were handling teleport duties for all but two of the families, all of them except Chrono making three trips, one per family. She felt a momentary twinge of guilt at Chrono playing ferryman, since he was supposed to be here as a guest as well, but then remembered he had 'offered' before he even arrived. The only two families not being teleported in were the Al-Khan family, from Qatar, who were arriving by their private plane and a limo arranged by Hayate, and Noriko's family. Noriko was already moved into the dorm, her father's private tour the week before having convinced him to let her study at the Academy.

Sixteen families, sixteen students. The numbers rolled through the back of her mind, as the names of her guests rolled through its front. Aria at her shoulder helped, whispering names and nationalities as Hayate moved to greet each family in turn. The Sommersbys from England, daughter Megan. The Senizawas from Osaka, son Toshirou. The San Cristobals from the city of Manila, in the Philippines, son Noah. Niranjana Konnoth and her mother from India. The Maricopas, from Brazil, daughter Allina. The Morisovich matriarch from Russia, daughter Natalia. Luke Henderson and his father, from Australia's arid Outback. Thomas McClure, their reliable contractor, and his son Ichigo. The Lafittes, from southern France, son Marcel. The Caeghlins, from Arizona, daughter Allison. The orphan Hector, from Mexico, who refused to answer to anything other than 'Mariachi'. All of them in their early teens, older than she had been, but few parents were willing to trust younger children to boarding schools in foreign countries.

She moved to greet the last family, the Al Musab family from Egypt, only to find the father glaring at her. "There is a problem," he growled softly, just loud enough for her to hear, but quiet enough to keep it private.

She debated quickly. Zafira had handled that meeting, but it had seemed to go well, if not wonderfully. But the family would not be here, unless there was something she could do resolve whatever problem may be occurring. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Possibly. The problem is not with you. I wish my daughter to attend your school, Miss, but my brother objects, strongly. He is... traditional. If I leave Cidela here..."

He trailed off, but Hayate could fill in what he did not say easily enough. "You may not be able to visit her, possibly not even be able to come for her." He nodded, but Hayate was looking at Cidela. At the moment, she could not see much beyond a small girl, wrapped in brightly colored but loose clothes, rough black hair pulled back in long cornrows. She seemed to be intently studying the material that surfaced the parking lot, her round face angled so far down not even her eyes were visible. There was more to this than an uncle's objection, and Hayate decided to find out what.

"Wall of Not," she whispered, forming the barrier around herself and Cidela, a faint white shimmer that dissipated almost immediately. Cidela flinched, staring about with wide eyes that took a few moments to settle on Hayate. "Calmly, Cidela," Hayate whispered, "it is merely a barrier, to ensure we have privacy. Your father will not even notice, as it holds us outside of time for brief periods. Something is bothering you about this, I would know what it is before I make my decision."

"Ah... I cannot say," Cidela said, voice almost too soft to be called a whisper, eyes going back to the ground.

Hayate sighed, then reached out to take Cidela's face in her hands, forcing the girl to meet her gaze. "No harm will come to you, regardless of your answer. No one but you and I will ever know this conversation occurred. What is the problem?"

Cidela shook for a moment, then came to a decision. "I... I will not be able to return home. Father is understating Uncle's objections, and... my brothers agree with Uncle. I will not be permitted to return to my family if I come here."

Hayate sighed again, frustrated and saddened by the girl's situation. "I cannot make this decision for you, Cidela," she said, "you must decide for yourself. Is the education we offer worth the loss of your family? You may leave here with the power to return in spite of your uncle's wishes, but you also may not. You must decide. I will support whichever decision you make, claim it as my own so no blame can fall on you, but it must be your decision."

"I want to learn," Cidela said, and Hayate could tell from her tone, that was an understatement. "I can... feel things, fix things. I want to know what I'm doing, how to control it... how to hide it." She dropped her eyes to the ground again, "Please, let me stay?"

Hayate dismissed the barrier with a thought, "Cidela will be welcome here, for as long as necessary. I will pray that you can resolve your differences with the rest of your family, that you are able to reclaim your daughter, but I will also prepare her for the possibility that you cannot. We will arrange a method for you and Cidela to remain in contact, most probably through her mother or a sister, a method that will not be easily intercepted. Will that be acceptable, Mister Al Musab?"

"Entirely," he replied, looking both relieved and pained. "I need to return before anyone notices. If I could have a few minutes, I would like to say good bye."

Hayate nodded, waving Zafira over as she and Aria stepped away. "Zafira, when you return him, place a status monitor on him, and his wife if you can. She is the youngest in her family yes?"

"Yes, she is. Though she has two older brothers," Zafira replied reminded her, "I will do what I can. You think this may turn violent?"

"He is preparing to leave his only daughter in the care of strangers," Hayate said, "and not all places in this world are as peaceful as Japan. Can I rely on you to retrieve him and his family if someone does try something?"

"From here to Egypt, I may not be able to react in time to save him, but I'll do what I can, Mistress. As you command."

She smiled, resting her hand on his massive arm for a moment. "Thank you, Zafira. Return him home, place the status monitors, then return here as quickly as possible." She turned to Aria, "The Al Khan's will not be here for another hour, please start escorting our guests to the campus? I will follow along with Cidela when they are finished."

Aria bowed slightly, "Certainly, Hayate-san." Then she frowned slightly, "But can I have Vita? I could use some help to keep Miss Sims away from my tail, and Lotte is not helping."

------------------------------

The next several hours were a trial, not so much in terms of worry as in distractions. Showing the parents the campus required a delicate touch to explain certain facets that, technically, Hayate was not supposed to have included.

Things began with a general reception and speech, following the 'usual form' that left her extremely nervous. Yuuno and Nanoha assured her none of that showed, but she could still feel the nerves. After that came a brief period of answering questions on stage, most of which seemed to revolve around the various fears that, despite the manifest presence of the school and the manner of their arrival, Hayate's 'magic' was real. Fortunately, those of a more suspicious bent accepted the description of the 'new science' which Sheika Al-Khan had been given, so her half-formed fears of an impromptu witch-hunt were not realized.

After the speech and reception came a brief tour of the school, which necessitated its own deceptive maneuvering. The fact that the basement of the class building was now significantly larger than the rest of it, and larger than its own foundation, was only the most obvious part. Most of that was empty space in a containment chamber, the 'firing range', as Nanoha had dubbed it, which nickname would probably not have endeared her to about half her guests. Still, there were elements of both magic and her lesson plans that would... upset some of the parents present. Still, the library was simpler, and the dormitory was extremely popular.

The distracting part was trying to answer the multitude of questions. While the rest of her 'staff' conducted the tour, Hayate took the time to walk with different families, mostly to introduce herself and get the families comfortable. They all had more questions, which they had hesitated to bring up in front of everyone for various reasons, which she tried to answer. Some of them were quite sharp, such as Sheika Al Khan's questions regarding the true nature of what they were going to be teaching.

Despite all of that, the first day was primarily about introductions. Each family would have several days to explore the campus and ask questions, and in that respect, she had to admit it had been quite successful. She thought everyone was settling in well, at least initially, and as the day progressed, her nerves calmed to the point that, when dinner rolled around, she no longer noticed them. True to Aria's prediction, the only real embarrassing moments were caused by the non-human appearance of herself, her sister, and Zafira. The trio of familiars were under solid illusion spells to disguise those facets of their appearance, at least until classes began, but Laura and Noriko proved able to see through those illusions. Noriko was no trouble, but Laura took it as a challenge to see if she could surprise one of the three familiars at every opportunity.

Dinner was served in the dorm, courtesy of the only non-mages on the Academy's staff. Several tables were arranged in the cafeteria, crowding the room despite it being larger than necessary, for future expansion reasons. Hayate made sure that a mage was at every table, and claimed the head table, which would be the staff table in normal circumstances, for herself. The room was placed in the center of the dorm's 'H' shaped structure, and the outer wall looked out over the campus as a whole, through several sets of double-doors that were, given the lovely weather of the day, left open. Hayate was actually enjoying the meal, conversing with the Van Saars on one side and Mother Morisovich (who preferred 'mother' to her real name) on the other, the Senizawas across from her. Things were winding down, when a motion drew her eye up and out the doors, and she froze in surprise for a moment, before whispering, "Takashi."

He was walking up to the doors, enveloped in a black trench coat, the Hellblade brooding over his shoulder. She had no idea why he was here, but knew that having him in _here _was a bad idea. Unfortunately, before she could take action, she saw her Knights shifting. "Vita, Signum, hold," she ordered as the two lunged to their feat. She rose more slowly, trying to continue to project calm assurance, and watched as Takashi stopped just inside the open doors. "Takashi," she said again, louder this time, to carry across the now quiet room, "Come, let us talk out front."

He held up a hand, "No need, Hayate-sama. I merely wished to see for myself that everything progressed well." He looked around, cold gaze sweeping over the students and parents, most of whom were watching him as they would a dangerous predator.

"Takashi," she said more firmly, "you are discomfiting my guests and students. I will speak with you momentarily, on the lawn."

He smiled at her, briefly, "Relax, musume. They are a more impressive collection than I expected."

"She told you to wait outside," Vita said. She had been seated closest to the door he was standing in, and now moved to block him. "That means you wait."

Takashi grinned at her indulgently, then returned his attention to Hayate. "That barrier is impressive, musume. I think it will even keep me from teleporting in."

"Why didn't it this time?" Vita was practically snarling.

"It did," he answered, "I'm not actually there, Vita-san. You're threatening an illusion."

Hayate asked, before Vita could, "Then why are you projecting your image here, Takashi?"

"I told you, I wanted to evaluate the students for myself."

"_My_ students," she clarified, "not yours. They are not your concern."

One thin eyebrow rose high, "Never thought otherwise, musume, but as you are allowed to worry about me, I am allowed to worry about you. I would have stopped by earlier, but I was caught up studying something in the badlands."

"I'd be happy to hear about it later," Hayate said, "But at the moment I have guests who deserve my full attention."

"I'll be on my way momentarily. I merely have a question for one of your students, something I'm curious about." He pointed, over Vita's head, "You aren't afraid of me girl. Why?"

Noriko, at the end of the head table next to Cidela, did not so much as raise an eyebrow. "Should I be?"

"Most people are. I was never an especially nice person, and I've gotten worse the last few decades. There's only one person who is not afraid of me, your new headmistress. I know why she does not fear me, I am curious why you do not."

Noriko shook her head slowly, "I do not know you, Takashi-san, nor do I know of you. Your appearance is dark, yet so is Zafira-san's."

"Illusions can still be dangerous, child."

Vita grunted a laugh, "you'd know about that, wouldn't you, Akira?"

"Vita, that was unnecessary," Hayate said, "Especially as he was just leaving." She reached behind her, caressing the Sword of Light's handle. Her other hand waved a dismissive gesture, the white glow around her hand almost invisible, "Archon's Dismissal." Takashi grinned at her, as the gentle wave of white swept towards him, and bowed as it reached him, causing the illusory projection to waver and vanish.

"My apologies for that interruption, ladies and gentleman. Takashi is quite powerful, and something of an ally, but I am afraid he has been alone for a very long time. He has forgotten many of the manners he once knew."

_Subtle of him,_ Chrono commented mentally.

Moving down the table to Noriko, Hayate could not fathom what he meant. _I'm sorry?_

_Takashi,_ Chrono commented, _that was rather subtle of him, reinforcing your authority like that. He accomplished several things at once; checking up on your students, warning the families and the rest of us that he'll be around, and proving to the families that you really are the final authority here. Like I said, subtle of him. I didn't expect that._

_I did not need his interference,_ Hayate complained, _now I have to calm everyone down again._

_Not as much as you think, you'll see._

She reached Noriko, and crouched next to her, resting a hand on the girl's. She asked softly, to keep the conversation private, "Are you all right, Noriko?"

The princess looked at her, somewhat confused. "Yes, Yagami-sama. Why?"

Hayate was surprised, because the girl was looking at her with a clear and comfortable gaze, confused not disturbed. "Takashi has a habit of disturbing people," she explained, looking for any sign of that effect, "just his mere presence can terrify people, especially an untrained mage. You are certain you are all right?"

"Yes, ma'am. He was not that impressive, just another man. I do not like him, he was too arrogant, but he did not scare me."

Hayate could only accept that, "If you feel any different, let me know. Fear can make your lessons dangerous, talk about it, if you need to."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Cidela?" Hayate turned to the other girl, "How are you doing?"

"Ah... I am all right," she whispered.

"I'll talk to her," Noriko added, "we've been talking about a lot during dinner."

Hayate gave both girls a smile, "Thank you, both. In that case, I'll leave you to finish eating."

"Yagami-sama," Noriko stopped her, "He kept calling you 'daughter', but..."

Hayate shook her head, "I inherited his wife's legacy, and they had no children of their own. So he thinks of me as his daughter. Our relationship is more complicated than that, though similar. Do not worry about it, girls. Takashi will have little to nothing to do with the school."

------------------------------

Hayate visited each of the tables, after speaking with Noriko and Cidela, to reassure herself as much as her guests. Unsurprisingly, those who had been closest to Takashi showed the most discomfort at his presence. For the most part, reactions were anger at his rudeness, rather than the suspicion of her she had expected. There were a few questions about how, exactly, someone like him knew Hayate, but she managed to explain saving him without going into too many details. The only real sticking point was that some of her guests spoke Japanese, and noticed both the forms and terms with which he addressed her.

Finally, however, her guests retired for the night. The students were already assigned their rooms, and their parents were put up in the extra rooms in the same wing as their children. The girls were all assigned in the north wing, the boys in the south, and for the moment each had a room to him- or herself, which surprised most of them. Once each of them was settled, Aria and Lotte retired to their rooms, where the wings met the connecting corridor. They would provide night-time monitors while the school was in session.

Hayate and her friends retired to the house, walking the path through the woods up to the ledge it was built on. Unsurprisingly, the discussion turned almost immediately to Takashi's reappearance. Since Nanoha's wedding, he had been very careful never to appear to anyone who might recognize him except Hayate, or at least, that was what she thought.

"He said he didn't want you to know he was around," Vita muttered, "why did he show up now after going to so much trouble to keep you from knowing he had been here?"

Hayate blinked in surprise, "He was here before? When?"

Vita stumbled, then coughed embarrassedly, "Ah, well, that is..."

"When you first went to talk to the Sims," Zafira told her, "he asked us not to tell you, as he was only here to inquire as to our security arrangements."

"Why did he want to know that?"

"He put some of his own wards outside ours," Vita muttered, "he wanted to make sure his wards would not interfere with ours. We didn't tell him much, just the types of wards, not the specific spells we used."

"You still should have told me," Hayate complained, "I need to know when he's here, if one of you sees him without my warning, I need to know."

Shamal put a hand on her shoulder, "You keep telling us he is no danger, Hayate."

"He is not," she said, "but I... I need to keep track of him, to know if he varies from his routine."

"Why?" Signum's question was short and almost harsh, but Hayate knew her too well to take offense.

"He is my responsibility," Hayate said, trying to explain something she felt, but did not understand. "I need to know where he is, to know what he is doing. I have kept the Bureau from him, kept anyone else from finding him. If I can't do that..."

"You have already fulfilled debt whatever you owed Shimazu Sara," Chrono said. "You brought him out of the Hellblade, returned him to his natural form, gave him his life again, and the justice he sought. You don't owe her anything more, or him."

Hayate shook her head. "It's not that easy, Chrono, and you know it. I returned him to the universe, I am responsible for whatever he does, for whatever happens to him. I need to know where he is, what he is doing. He is one of only three users of Deva magic in the universe, I _have _to know where he is."

"He said he didn't want to worry you," Vita mumbled, "and that's exactly what it's doing. He can take care of himself, Hayate."

"I know that, Vita-chan. But... just, if you encounter him again, tell me as soon as possible."

The others nodded, then Fate asked, "Will you allow him on campus?"

Hayate shook her head. "I do not know. He could be a good teacher, but we already have good combat instructors. His dragon form could teach them about not relying on magic for everything. Then there is the fact that he is a very good example of the dangers of our way of life, but I do not want to frighten the students too badly. Whether I allow him to return or not, I had not intended to expose the students to him for quite some time. If I had known he had already been here, already knew enough of our protections to bypass them, then I could have prepared for this. Instead, he surprised me, on a day when I needed it least.

"I'm going to go talk to him, tonight. I'll be back in the morning some time. If I have not returned before our guests wake and the program beings, Shamal, please cover for me."

------------------------------


	4. 04 Educational Opportunities

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

-Chapter 04 – Educational Opportunities-

Laura woke, slowly and reluctantly, to a weird babbling noise, almost intelligible but too fast and too strangely pitched for her to understand. Groaning, she buried her face in her pillow and folded it up over her ears, trying vainly to get back to sleep. Mornings were, in her opinion, a vicious torture inflicted by a sadistic world, to be avoided not experienced whenever possible. Also, whatever was making the noise, it obviously was not her alarm, since hers only ever played music.

Despite her conviction that now was not the time to get up, she had not managed to return to peaceful slumber before she heard the swish of her door opening over the carpet, just audible in a low-spot in the weird voice. Still only half awake, Laura shifted just enough to grumble, "I'll be up in a bit, Mom."

"Ano, excuse me, Laura-chan, but you're going to miss breakfast if you don't get up soon."

The voice was not her mother's, it was too soft, too high, and not nearly authoritarian enough. That provided the last spike of surprise to wake Laura up completely. She shoved herself up heavily, somewhat confused as to who was talking and where she was, blinking at the girl in her door sleepily. Then, as her brain finally engaged, she caught sight of the glowing green numbers across the room. "Crap! I can't be late on the first day!"

Ignoring Noriko's faint giggle and attempt to say something further, Laura leapt out of bed, grabbed her shower bucket, and barreled the short distance down the hall to the nearer bathroom. The place was well appointed, in every respect, but she had no time to think about that. Mostly she was grumbling about her alarm's settings. The 'quick and easy Japanese' Yagami-sensei had given them the night before, after their parents left, was okay, but it did not really kick in unless you were paying attention. On top of that, she had not really figured out the alarm clocks each room was equipped with, so she had not found a radio station that would sound enough like home to wake her up – a combination of facts that, like the language, only occurred to her after she was already fully conscious.

She was still grumbling about it fifteen minutes later, while she pounded back down the hall, now in uniform, but still pulling her damp hair back. She made the corner into the dining hall by bouncing off the frame, already aiming for the buffet table set up by the entrance, bare feet skidding only a little on the hardwood floor.

Only to slide, barely, to a stop just short of Signum's arm, which was outstretched for the same plate Laura had been reaching for.

"No need to rush," Signum informed her, "you've plenty of time before classes begin."

"Sorry, ma'am," Laura apologized, getting her balance back by letting herself fall backwards a step. "Still haven't figured out the alarm that well." She could not help bouncing on her toes, as she waited for the more intimidating of her new teachers to move further down the line.

Signum quirked an eyebrow, might possibly have cracked a millimetric grin, then moving with a deliberate slowness that had Laura's nerve skittering, picked up a plate, and stepped, once, along the buffet. "It is merely an alarm, Miss Sims. Surely someone as intelligent as you can arrange the settings properly?"

Laura grimaced, feeling the need to push the woman along, but completely unwilling to even hint at doing so. She picked up a plate of her own, "Haven't figured out the radio stations yet. They all sound the same, so far."

"You will figure them out in time. The more you use the language we gave you yesterday, the easier it will be and the longer you will retain it." Signum was finally to the actual food, but she was still... strolling along, moving with glacial slowness. Grabbing her own plate, Laura went to step around her teacher and head for the hotplates, when Signum's next question stopped her cold. "You weren't thinking of cutting in front of one of your teachers, were you?" Hanging her head, Laura stepped back and waited, as patiently as she could. She could feel herself quivering with the need to just _move_, but Signum was by far the scariest of her teachers. No way was she going to get on the purple-haired woman's bad side.

--

Hayate made certain, the first day of the official school year, the first day after the parents had returned home, to be in the dining hall for breakfast before any of her new students. Her house above had a beautifully appointed kitchen designed, equipped and arranged to exacting specifications she and Shamal had worked out between them, and she would probably spend her mornings there, usually, but this first morning of classes was important, and she wanted to be on hand in case of any problems, and as a form of subtle reassurance to her students. So she was in the dining hall before any of the other students, lending the cooks a hand to set up the buffet breakfast before getting her own meal. The others would soon follow her down.

Breakfast was less formal than dinners would be, and she merely picked a seat at one of the other tables, for a time reflecting on how short a time it had been since her own days as a student. For her, though, that time had been spent teleporting about the galaxy in between her classes. Her students would not have that sort of disruptive distraction, nor would they be in as much danger as she had been. She did not regret her childhood, or her time as a Bureau mage, but she was well aware how fortunate she was to have escaped its dangers as unscathed as she had.

Her thoughts were still on that subject as the first of her new charges began filtering in, most of them still showing signs of the 'new adventure' energy with which they had arrived. Marcel and Noah were the first, strolling in shortly after she sat down, conversing in halting Japanese. A few moments later Juliet Vansaar joined the two boys at the buffet, and slowly the others trickled in.

"May I join you, Hayate-sama?" Yussef's question surprised her, interrupting her reverie.

She smiled, covering her surprise, "Certainly, Yussef. No need to be so formal outside of class, certainly not this early in the morning."

He nodded, turning the acknowledgement into a bow, and settled his plate across the table from hers. She noticed a few of the others students giving him odd looks, as if they were worried he was crazy for sitting with their headmistress, and for a moment she was saddened at that distance. Then she turned her attention back to Yussef, treading a careful line between being friendly, and still being Headmistress. For a time, as he ate and she sipped her tea, the conversation was simple, about the first day's classes, what to expect from each of his teachers and so on.

After a while, however, he hesitated, and she realized he was about to say something he thought would anger her. Given how polite and well behaved he had been ever since she met him, Hayate doubted whatever he was bringing up would be that bad, but was still nervous. "Ma'am, I'd like to ask a question, but I'm afraid it's... possibly impolite."

Hayate just cocked her head, "Ask. If it is rude, I'll let you know, but I promise not to yell or scream."

He looked around, then hunched forward slightly, "what you told my mother we'd be learning, the 'advanced sciences' stuff. It's magic, not science, isn't it?"

Hayate was prepared to counter his accusations of deception, only to realize he was not accusing or even unhappy, just curious. She paused, and put her thoughts in order before answering. "I'm afraid you are both right and wrong, Yussef." He gave her a confused look, and she smiled gently, "In its original form, what we are going to teach you was simple magic, as you are no doubt thinking of it. Manipulation of personal energies to achieve supernatural effects. However, the people who taught me, and those who taught my friends, have refined magic to the point where it _is_ a science. We know far more than magic's first users about what the energy is, and the explanation provided is currently the leading theory explaining where the energies come from, though there are some competing theories, which will also be covered in later classes."

His confusion was still there, but mingled with concern. He thought over what she said for a few seconds, then said, "my ancestors have always held magic to be... unnatural, evil. I am, uncertain about if..."

He trailed off, and Hayate shrugged. This was a question she could answer easily, if not absolutely. "Would you call a sword evil, Yussef?" He looked at her, and shook his head. "What about a hammer? A car?" Again, he shook his head, and she explained, "Magic is the same. A sword, a hammer, a car, all of them are tools, machines created for human advancement. Magic is another tool. It is different from electricity or light only in that it is easier for individuals with a strong enough linker core to manipulate, whereas electricity and light require special tools to control. As for unnatural, you were all born with the linker cores which will allow you to control magic energy. Every living thing has one but, like muscles, some are born with stronger linker cores than others."

"What about history? There have been a number of reputed mages in my homeland, and they were always the worst tyrants and monsters."

"Part of that is myth and legend," Hayate said, "stories told to teach lessons. However, it is true that magic can be used for evil ends, just as a sword, a hammer, or a car. What we will teach you here is power, and power and be very easily abused. The complicated part is knowing when you have crossed that line, from use, to abuse. What is written above the main door of the class building?"

He blinked at her, then grinned, "'With great power comes greater responsibility'. I've seen a lot of other sayings like that over other doors."

"Those may be clichéd, but they are what we will teach you. One of the most skilled mages I know rarely uses his magical power any longer. Yet the discipline, responsibility, and skills he developed in learning to control his power have turned him into a great leader. That is what we hope to accomplish with all of you. If you leave this school and never again call on your magic, I will be happy so long as you remember that spirit."

"I'm used to responsibility," he said, a wry twist to his mouth, "grew up with it."

Hayate nodded, understanding what he was saying, even without personal experience of such an upbringing. "Remember that experience you have, and that only one other student here has it. The rest of your classmates are all from simpler, less obviously demanding backgrounds. The level of discipline and responsibility we will be teaching will be more foreign to them than any language. You can help them adapt to that, even if all you do is remember it yourself."

"I'll remember that," Yussef promised, "though I'm not sure about it. I've never been..." he waved a hand vaguely, "... much for helping others learn."

"Neither have I," Hayate confessed, "but anything is possible."

"So, magic. Is that why..." he was cut off by a low grade rumble that drew most people's attention to the door to the girls' wing. They looked over just in time to see Laura stop just short of plowing into Signum, and Hayate giggled slightly at the look on the girl's face. Yussef, in contrast, made a derogatory noise before muttering under his breath, "good luck teaching _her_ discipline."

"Oh, I don't know," Hayate said, "I think she'll manage it. Anyone with that much energy has to know something about getting up after a fall, for instance. Each of you has advantages and disadvantages, Yussef, strengths and weaknesses. Laura will be quite entertaining to teach." She saw Noriko walking in just behind the American girl, only long familiarity with her homeland's people allowing her to spot the amusement the girl felt at her classmate's predicament. "And there is another challenge. Noriko thinks she knows more than she does, though she fortunately realizes we know more. Still, she will be a handful, at least to begin with. I think you'll agree, however, that you are in good company?"

"Yes ma'am, it's just... hard to get past the images the word 'magic' conjures up. Half of me thinks it's evil, the other half think's it's a joke."

"Keep both views in mind," Zafira suggested, settling down beside Hayate finally showing his true form and ignoring Yussef's resultant wide-eyed stare. "Respect for your power is one thing, but that has to be tempered with fear and humor. If you aren't afraid of yourself, if you can't laugh at yourself, you are in danger of becoming just like those men in your peoples' myths."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind, sir," Yussef replied slowly, though Hayate noticed the boy was staring rather hard. Then Yussef flinched and began struggling very hard not to stare.

"If you're going to look, look," Zafira told him. "I am not human, and you had best become used to it."

"Zafira is what we call a guardian beast, or familiar," Hayate explained, catching the attention of Noah and Juliet, who had also been staring openly at Zafira. The two moved closer, and for a few minutes, with commentary on the differences from Zafira, she explained the basics of familiars, guardian beasts, and their capabilities. Soon, however, it was time for class to start, and she found herself shooing the students on their way.

--

Quite deliberately, the first half of the day was devoted to normal classes, though they were taught somewhat differently from traditional schools. Math, Japanese, world history, and rotating schedules of both science and other languages carried through to an hour break for lunch. There was no grumbling about the mundane courses, to Hayate's surprise, though that was probably because the students knew the magic courses would begin after lunch, and due to the fascinating teachers. Also, Aria was strange enough in their experience, but Signum wore Levantine to class on her hip, and used the sword's projection abilities, in place of the whiteboard, to spread diagrams and formulas all over the room.

The students were kept as a group for all their classes, which was a touch awkward. Hayate and Shamal had tried to keep them all roughly the same educational level, but given the number of countries and spread of ages, that had not been entirely possible. Still, they had put all the students together, and were relying on those who were already familiar with a subject to assist those who were not. They had other plans waiting, if this proved ineffective or too disruptive, but Hayate had high hopes for the initial few months.

Hayate herself spent the morning cleaning out paperwork and continuing to work on the school's magical infrastructure. The school was small, and as much as possible was done internally, by herself and her Knights, but there were still letters to be sent, forms to complete, and so forth. The most vexing was arranging for a suitable declaration of guardianship for Cidela, to protect her in case her uncle came looking for her. Her frequent breaks to peek in on the classes delayed that, but she was too curious and too nervous to stop checking in.

Lunch was, in its own way, even less formal than breakfast. The weather was beautiful, so Hayate had the tables set up in the quad, but she had to miss it. Shortly before the students were released from classes, her perimeter wards were tripped, and she found herself walking through the woods, looking for the source of the disturbance. With the others either teaching or training themselves, she decided not to bring anyone else, especially as it was only the preliminary intrusion wards.

She _was _somewhat concerned, as this was the first time her wards had been triggered, and she knew she was going to get a stern talking to when she returned to the campus, for not bringing someone with her. But it was only an intrusion, not the hostility or power wards, and none of the active wards had been tripped. Nonetheless, she walked with the Sword in hand, and with Reinforce's senses stretched wide as well. She climbed the side of the valley, well away from the school proper, moving on the ground to keep from making herself a target, if the intruder was still present.

When she reached the point in the ward rings where they had been tripped, she found something rather more disturbing than the bear or wolf she had been expecting. The intruder alert had, indeed, been triggered, but none of the other wards had been disturbed. More disturbingly, only one, specific ward had been triggered, her own Deva wards. Signum's and Vita's combined Velka wards were completely undisturbed, untouched, and there were no traces of intrusion, not even a hint of the magical energies that must have been present.

"Someone tried to get in," she muttered, opening her eyes after viewing the wards through a trance, regarding the surrounding forest with a new-found concern, "Someone who knows standard magic, but not Deva." She grounded the Sword of Light, resting one hand on it while she considered, tapping her chin with the other.

Whoever had done this, why ever they had done it, she doubted they would be satisfied with a single attempt. They would be back, better prepared next time, and they had been far too prepared this time for her liking. Lifting the Sword once more, she brought forth Sara's gift, re-setting the ward which had been tripped, and placing the first of what she knew would be many more wards, memory wards that would record what happened and replay the event for her, if the warnings were triggered again.

By the time she had that in place, she was running late for her own class. Calling forth her wings, she took off for the campus, reaching out to Vita, who would have the least to do that afternoon. _Vita-chan? We had an intruder, one who managed to bypass the Velka wards. Reinforce has reset the ones that were tripped, but I'm late for class. Be a dear, and check the perimeter for me?_

Vita's response was quick, _Sure thing. I'll take the twins with me, they need to get a look at the wards anyhow, if they're going to be watching them with us. Any idea who or how nasty?_

_Thank you,_ Hayate replied, already swooping down to land on the class building's roof. _They left no traces, other than the tripped ward. I think they sensed it going off and fled, but there are no physical or teleport traces._

_Someone's probing our defenses,_ Vita muttered, _I don't like that._

_Neither do I, but we need more information if we're going to catch them. I'll place recorders after class, to get us that information. Pass the word to the others to be wary._

--

When classes began, Cidela at first tried to settle into the back of the class, to make herself as small and unnoticed as possible. It had always been the most effective way for her to deal with others, the safest way, what she was used to. She had never been comfortable with strangers in Egypt, and all these foreigners at once, combined with the fact that she was for all intents and purposes disowned now, left her feeling more frightened and nervous than usual. She just wanted to get through the first few weeks unnoticed, until she could get to know this odd collection of people and get her bearings back.

She knew why her father had brought her here, despite the problems. She was smart, the smartest person in her family, probably. She had been speaking almost before she learned to walk, and reading long before anyone else her age. Her father had done his best to train that intelligence, and seen to it that she got all the schooling she could. But Egypt, for all its ancient history, was still a deeply traditional country, especially in the cities, and everyone in her family knew she had reached the limits of what she could learn there. Unfortunately, her father could not afford to send her abroad. Headmistress Yagami's offer had been a godsend, even with the oddities they had mentioned. But knowing why she was here did not help overcome the loneliness.

Her hopes to pass unnoticed were to remain forlorn, however. She had not even managed to sneak into breakfast before Noriko was at her side and dragging her over to sit with several of the other girls. Class had been much the same, Noriko practically dragging her from one class to the next, always putting her in the center of the other students, completely ignoring Cidela's protests that her attention was unnecessary. The Japanese girl was very good about including her in conversations without overwhelming her, but also made it clear that nothing short of violence would get her to leave Cidela alone.

Despite herself, Cidela found herself appreciating it, even if it was contrary to her own normal preferences. It was far too difficult to stay scared and lonely when she was plunked down in the center of the group, especially with Laura's hyperactivity, Allison's sarcastic pride, and Mariachi's quiet politeness. They were certainly the most intimidating people her own age that she had ever met, but by the time afternoon classes began, she was calm, if not comfortable, with all of them.

Then Mistress Yagami walked into the classroom, calm and stately and perfect in every motion, and her nerves vanished – she was too focused to worry now. The Headmistress was, quite obviously, perfect. Cidela had known that from the instant the woman arrived on her father's doorstep months ago, Zafira and Vita in tow. She was small, and almost delicately pretty, especially in comparison to the other teachers, but she radiated a steady strength and serene confidence that Cidela dearly wished to learn to emulate. Even more, she had demonstrated incredible confidence and self assurance, two traits Cidela knew she herself lacked, but also hoped she could learn to display.

Even more interesting than her new teacher, however, was the subject at hand. There was no more dancing around it, no more finely crafted verbal dodges. The class was listed on their schedules as _Magical Theory, First Form._ This was what the school was about, and Cidela looked forward to this almost more than the practical course which would follow it. This would explain why she could see the things she had been seeing, and do what she had been doing, for years now. This was the sort of knowledge she had been looking for with little hope of ever finding it, and Mistress Yagami was going to be showing her these wonders personally.

No, when this class started, Cidela felt no nerves, no fear, nothing but anticipation and wonder.

There was the initial rundown, what the class was supposed to teach them, what they could expect in terms of structure and subjects, and the usual dire warnings about failing to complete their work. From there, Mistress Yagami spent most of the class explaining, in very general terms, how Mid-type magic worked, from the channel provided by their linker cores, to the complicated evolutions capable with a fully realized intelligent device.

Some of what she described was downright terrifying. Cidela had no wish to know how to destroy a city, or to create artifacts capable of rending at time and space, for instance. But other possibilities... being able to communicate over any distance, to travel the stars and, most intriguing of all, _to heal_. She was certain beyond fact that she had done just that in the past, but she had no idea how, and desperately wanted to know. Cidela made very careful note that Shamal was the only teacher Mistress Yagami mentioned while discussing healing, writing a note to herself to talk to the most motherly of the teachers that evening, if possible.

When Mistress Yagami's lecture wound down, she opened the floor to questions, and Cidela almost asked about healing. But, friendly though everyone was proving, she was still too shy to put herself on display, so she settled for plotting how to get a hold of Shamal.

Most of the questions were along the lines Cidela had been thinking – what was and was not possible, how strong each of them was, when they would get their own devices, and so on. It was Noriko who asked a question Cidela did not expect. "I spoke with Signum-sensei, and she said you are the strongest mage here. I mean no offense, but why are you not teaching the practical course, sensei?"

Mistress Yagami reached over her shoulder, caressing the hilt of the katana she had been wearing throughout the class, with a distantly thoughtful look for a few moments. Then she blinked, and explained, "My magic is based on experimental principles. I have given up the standard forms, and can no longer utilize them. So, while I know the theories quite well, and can explain how to do things, I can no longer demonstrate them, nor can I properly evaluate your efforts. So, I handle the theoretical teachings, while Lotte will handle the basic practical teachings."

Even Cidela could see the light of interest that appeared in Noriko's eyes, and she knew instantly that the other girl would drag her into finding out more about the Headmistress' magic. "Experimental? Will you be teaching it to us, as well?"

"Ah, no, Noriko," the headmistress shook her head slowly, seemingly bemused by the question, "the type I am working on is highly experimental, and I am uncertain how to enable another mage to utilize it. We will cover it in this course, briefly, but only towards the end. It requires a very solid grounding in normal types of magic. You may be instructed later in Velka type, a subtle variation of Mid type, that Signum and Vita use, and that is quite dangerous enough. But Deva type... as I said, it is experimental." She paused, but before anyone could ask another question, explained, "This school will be similar, in some respects, to a university. We will be conducting research of our own, in addition to teaching you. You will have opportunities to assist in those experiments, once you have learned enough not to be in danger from it. But Deva type magic... we understand very little of it, even now, and there are only three living practitioners of the type. That is not enough history to risk trying to teach it to students. It will be many years before I am ready to attempt to pass this on." Her grin a moment later was rather amused as she shook an admonishing finger at Noriko, "So trying to wheedle the secrets out of me will not work, Noriko-chan, and no one else here knows enough about it to do more than recognize the type in action."

Warning aside, new friend or not, Cidela could tell Noriko was not satisfied with that answer. She wondered, silently to herself, just how long it would take Noriko to get in trouble trying to discover the secrets of the Headmistress' personal style of magic. Cidela was less interested in that, but found herself even more interested now in the Headmistress' demeanor, and how she could imitate it. The fact that she could so comfortably shift from lecturing to teasing without ever being mean or less than in charge… it was simply too impressive for words.

--

Toushiro was the first to reach Workroom One for the course on _'Applied Magic, First Form'_, but only by a few seconds. Which meant that, unlike his new classmates, he plowed face-first into the door when it not only did not open automatically, but ignored his hand on the handle completely. Youthful reaction speed saved him from any actual harm, but not from being laughed at, and for a moment he contemplated lighting in to Allison for starting it. Then he remembered what he'd seen of her sharp wit earlier when Marcel said something about her red hair, and decided against it. Not that she had been vicious, but she had made it clear she would win any verbal sparring matches, and he felt no need to add to his embarrassment.

So he took it out on the door, rattling the handle hard and muttering something he hoped no one else heard. "What the heck? Why's the door locked?"

"Because Vita and Aria are verifying containment field integrity one more time before we begin class," a high sweet voice said, and he turned to find himself looking at one of the twin teachers who, according to Yussef, were 'familiars'. The cat ears standing out from her head and, more bothersome, the slit-pupiled eyes, were a more than a little disconcerting. However, he had managed to get that mostly under control in the morning's English class, where Aria-sensei's calm intelligence had made it impossible to think of her as anything other than a teacher.

The woman walking through the small group of students now, who had to be Aria-sensei's sister Lotte, was quite obviously radically different from that sister. She _looked_ exactly the same, right down to the uniform-like dress, but Toushiro had the distinct impression she was stalking him, especially given that grin, and he could see her tail lashing behind her. "Ah, thank you, ma'am, I should've thought of that."

"Hmmm, not really, Shiro-chan," her grin grew wider, and Toushiro backed up, giving her room to approach the door, and hoping that was what she went for. He just knew everyone was going to be using that nickname now, and he had hoped the move to a new school would let him loose it, but she was too unnerving for him to object right this moment. "Besides, even if they weren't, the key to the door is magical. Until your control is good enough, none of you will be able to enter any of the workrooms without a teacher. That's how we'll know you're skilled enough to be practicing unsupervised." She touched nothing, not even the handle, but the door opened easily under her hand, and she poked her head inside for a moment. Whatever made the workroom different from the rest of the school, it apparently included sound-dampeners, as he heard not a word, before Lotte-sensei was stepping back, and drawing the door open. "Go on in, kids, they're all set."

Lotte-sensei held the door open as they filed in, then let it fall closed behind them. "Gather over in the left corner, please," she said, waving to one side of the door, "we'll begin in a minute." Then she strolled over to talk to her sister and Vita-sensei.

Toushiro took the opportunity to look around, and was initially somewhat disappointed. The room was large, quite a bit larger than he had expected, stretching off into the distance further than a soccer pitch, making it easily the largest enclosed space he had ever been in. But that was all it was, just a massive open space, with gleaming steel walls and ceiling, and a floor of plain white pads. There were no magical sigils, no racks of training devices, no glow of powerful shields, just an open space. It was not until he realized that, unless his eyes were deceiving him, the room stretched so far out ahead of him that it not only reached beyond the edge of the class building, but may have reached beneath the library and high enough above him to exceed the classroom building's four floors, that he became impressed and intrigued.

While he was absorbing that, Vita-sensei and Aria-sensei left, and Lotte-sensei's call for attention brought him back to her. "Most of your classes are just that," she told them as they moved into an informal semi-circle about her, "classes. You will sit at your desks, take notes, and study theories. This class is rather different. Here, we're going to put the theory Hayate-sama teaches you to work. I know she hasn't told you anything yet beyond what you're going to be studying, but today we're going to take the first step in teaching you to access and control your power. Who here thinks they have already done so?"

Toushiro was a little hesitant. He could think of one time, but it was hardly a proud moment. He had only managed to pay back Sado for his bike recently. But after a moment, as Cidela, Laura, Mariachi, Noriko and Marcel all raised their hands, he joined them. Lotte nodded, "Good, you probably _have_ already accessed your power. What we're going to do today is try the first spell any mage ever learns, though its precise details vary from one mage to another. I remember Chrono-kun's first spell, that was a fun one, he almost took off Aria's tail!

"The spell is the first a mage calls upon because it is simple, direct, and instinctive. It is merely a matter of drawing in the energy from your linker core, and channeling it out in a single shot. It is not particularly efficient, nor," her permanent grin shifted from amused to mischievous, "is it something your parents will approve of you knowing. But it will provide a starting point for you to learn what your magic feels like, and how to control it. Any questions, before I get into details?"

The others rustled, looking at each other as much as Lotte-sensei, but Toushiro just shook his head, and waited for her to continue. _That sounds like what I did to Sado's bike,_ he thought to himself. _Haven't been able to do it since, though._

When no question was immediately forthcoming, Lotte-sensei nodded, "Right, then, I'll demonstrate once, then talk you through doing this yourselves. First, we'll need targets." She gestured, and muttered something Toushiro did not hear. A moment later four targeting rings appeared twenty meters or so down the room, spaced across its width, with a fifth floating somewhat higher. "These will be your targets. Divide into groups of four, please, and I'll give you the demonstration shot."

Toushiro found himself with Yussef, Juliet and Ichigo at the far end of the line of targets, while Lotte-sensei stood a little ahead of them all. She held out her right hand, fingers up and palm open. "This is a simple matter of reaching within yourself for the energy at your center, drawing it out," her hand took on a white glow, faint but just visible, "concentrating it," the glow flowed from her hand, forming a small sphere a centimeter or so in front of her palm, "and releasing it towards the target." The sphere flashed into a line, shooting through the center ring of the upper target, disappearing in a ripple of light a few meters beyond it. Lotte-sensei's smile now was one of simple satisfaction for a few seconds, before she turned back to them. "Don't worry about hitting the target today, your aim will improve in tandem with your control. For now, simply concentrate on drawing out the power and generating the shot."

She spent several minutes explaining the actual mechanics of it, but Toushiro was only half listening. He was remembering months gone, months before Signum-sensei ever appeared on his parent's doorstep. With Lotte-sensei's explanations running in the back of his attention, he could sense that space within himself, that reservoir of energy, and with only a half-formed intent, drew on it deeply. The rush of power tingled through him, like high-caffeine soda, before he held up a hand, pointed a finger at the target, and let fly, all in a smooth progression unlike the jerky panic of the last time he had done this in a moment of anger.

The sudden sense of exhaustion was a surprise, but not as much as the dark green lance of power that leapt from his finger, flashing past and well above the target with a massive clap of thunder before it struck the same invisible barrier that stopped Lotte-sensei's shot. Toushiro sat down rather abruptly, blinking stupidly at the ripples of light in the barrier. That had been significantly more impressive than what he had fired accidentally at Sado's bike, though that incident had exhausted him almost as badly as he felt right now. He was surprised enough, and tired enough, that it took him a few seconds to realize that he was the center of attention for the entire class.

"Ah, gomen, sensei," he said, "I shouldn't've done that without permission."

Lotte-sensei's grin was that same predatory look she had given him in the hall, and he was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Oh, that's okay," she said, "that's why these workrooms are all shielded. I'm impressed, though. The last student I had who did that was Chrono-kun. He was a lot of fun to teach, Shiro-chan. You're going to be fun to teach, too. Try not to shoot one of those at Signum-san, though. She'd take it personally." The grin slid back to its normal, non-frightening level, and she turned back to the rest of the class. "All right, everyone. Shiro-chan's just showed you what not to do, so let's all try and take his selfless example to heart, shall we?" Toushiro felt his cheeks burning a little, but shook it off. He had done it, that was all that mattered, and all it would take to improve was practice. "First group, step forward please, and try not to draw on as much power as Shiro-chan did. Just a little, just enough to feel it..."

Juliet stepped forward from his group, as Laura, Noah and Niranjana moved out of the other groups. Toushiro stayed where he was sitting, and focused on getting his breath and energy back. He was tempted to see if he could draw on that inner source of power to accelerate the process, but decided he was just as likely to accidentally shoot Noriko in the back, which would be a bad way to get to know her. Instead, he sat back and watched the others, waiting his next turn. _This is going to be interesting,_ he decided, _a lot more interesting than I expected, if this is the first thing we're learning._

--

Review replies: Um, yeah. That's a heck of a lot more reviews than I expected. Ever. This was just supposed to be a fun side-exercise to get past some writer's block on another story, so this is a pleasantly surprising response. My thanks to all of you, and I'll try to live up to your expectations as this progresses. I think you're overstating things, but far be it from me to complain!:) Thank you all for reading and reviewing.

Avaryan: Takashi is a problem for me, too, mostly because I'm having trouble getting him to come across the way I see him. That should improve, but for now, how others react to him will play a fair part in the story. As for the size of the cast, I just couldn't figure out a way to realistically portray a smaller school, so I padded the student body. I've got three or four whom I'll focus on for now, but the others will play small parts.

Navi-Zero: Glad you liked the prequel and are enjoying this story. I'm afraid I can't reveal too much of Takashi's plans or role just yet. He's not central to the current plot, but he'll play a significant part.

Saint X: There'll be accidents, naturally. But all the magic's supposed to be limited to the work rooms, though anyone who's made it through high-school knows how well teenagers follow rules:). Those'll be a matter of timing and space in the plot, however, since I've actually come up with a point for this story after I posted it.

Eni Li'Nave: Thank you for the comments on characterization, that's where I'm usually most paranoid about mistakes… which in turn is why I use so many OCs. You're right about Hayate's power level, it is rather extreme. That's yet another problem I know I have, but her magic's a better example than some others I've posted here, and there'll be some surprising weaknesses showing up later in this story. I'm afraid I'm not going to play up the cultural conflict too much, as this small a group of people will usually establish a working relationship in fairly short order. There will be some conflicts, but they're distinctly secondary to the running plot. As far as 'incidents' and school mysteries, as I mentioned above, it's a matter of timing & space. Don't worry about long reviews – long reviews are good reviews, so long as they say something, as yours did. They give me something to reply to more than 'thanks', which always feels cheap to me.

Montypython320: Thank you for your comments on both stories, and I hope you continue to enjoy.


	5. 05 Boundary Explorations

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 05 – Boundary Explorations -

Hayate gave her head a quick shake, clearing the last of the illusory image and the sense of dislocation, then issued a short, heavy sigh. "That was... disappointing," she muttered.

"Another blind probe?"

She looked away from the view off her deck, back towards the house, and nodded to Signum. "Yes. Just power, probing at our defenses from long range. They're getting better, too. They only tripped the _new_ first tier Deva wards, this time, none of the original wards of any type, and none of the new Velka wards. Oh, they probably would have if they had tried an actual physical intrusion, but..."

She trailed off, shrugging, and Signum nodded. Plenty of damage could be done without physical presence, even if it was just stolen information. The older woman moved to stand at the rail beside her, looking down onto the campus where the students were just dispersing across the quad on their lunch break. It was the third week of classes, and things had settled down relatively rapidly… at least as much as Hayate expected things to 'settle down', given the number and disparity of her students.

The most exciting moment – _so far,_ she reminded herself – had been the first time one of her students tried to deliberately create their own spell, just two days previously. Hayate had lost her bet with Vita and Lotte when, the prior Sunday night, Laura attempted to win an informal challenge, issued by Yussef, of all people, to get Cidela to actually smile. Her attempted light-show had blown up in a rather spectacular fashion, though Lotte's lessons had, by then, covered how to create a rudimentary armor. Fortunately, she had tried to perfect the spell on her own before showing it to anyone else. _Un_fortunately, she had not actually been able to seal the workroom she appropriated without permission, and had wound up blowing it up rather thoroughly, along with herself and the adjacent hallway for good measure, all of which incidentally set off the class building's fire suppression systems, as well as every attack alarm placed on the campus proper. That had been a very interesting afternoon, though it was a toss-up as to who was the most annoyed, and who was the most amused. Laura was in the running for both categories, though being grounded had put a damper on her spirits.

Noriko, whom Hayate had expected to try something like that first, had yet to make any such attempt. _Not that she's been caught at, at least,_ Hayate added with a small smile.

Aside from Laura's abortive fireworks display, however, things had been relatively calm. As she had expected, with such a small number of students, they all understood on some levels that they needed to at least be able to get along, so while cliques were forming, they were so far less than exclusive, and no out-right enmities were brewing. Yussef and Laura appeared to be developing a spirited rivalry, but it was far too early to tell how serious it was. At present they settled for trading barbs and minor incidents of one-upmanship.

The only truly worrisome problem had been the continued probing of the Academy's defenses by an opponent who remained unknown. From the initial incidents, the probes had slowly become more complicated, more sophisticated, and harder to trace. Whoever it was appeared to be intimately familiar with Mid-type magic, and somewhat more familiar with Velka-type. Familiar enough, in both cases, to bypass the Academy's obvious wards, at least. The intruder was unfamiliar with the Deva-type magic, and only bypassed one of the Deva wards after it had been tripped once or twice, but they were slowly learning, building up a store of information on the Academy's defenses that was unpleasantly complete. The fact of the probes was bad enough, but the methodical, careful, _controlled_ nature of the activity was worse. It indicated an enemy who was skilled and patient, which ruled out a Terra-born amateur.

Hayate had been surprised when she realized she was thinking of the unknown intruders as an enemy. Even at their worst, the people she had fought for the Bureau had never been enemies. Opponents, yes, even despised for their wickedness in a few cases, but never an enemy, never someone to be hated and destroyed. This intruder, however, was pushing the defenses she had painstakingly constructed to protect her students, and the thought of someone putting her students at risk was affecting her far more strongly than even the worst of the crimes she had investigated for the Bureau.

Signum interrupted her thoughts, "The trace attempt failed again?"

"Hai, I lost track of them over the Pacific, this time." Yet another point in the intruder's favor, their spells were coming from a very long way away, and never followed the same route. They were very subtle, difficult to trace at all, and they faded quickly. Usually, by the time a ward tripped, and any trace attempt could begin, the signs were already fading into the background energy of the world. "I'm thinking that I'll set a few Deva-wards outside the first tier, something to give warning the instant one of these probes begins. They'll be keyed to give only me warning, instead of the general signal they have been generating. When they go off, I'll start an immediate trace to try and get a live signal."

"I don't like leaving the whole burden on you, Mistress," Signum replied, then continued, "But I think, in this case, you are probably correct. Whoever this is, they are too skilled at mundane forms of magic to be traced easily."

Signum's comment drew a slight chuckle, and Hayate grinned at her questioning expression, indulging in a short break from the seriousness of the subject. "Do you realize how ridiculous it is to be calling any form of magic 'mundane'? It's _magic_, Signum, how can it possibly be mundane?"

Signum cracked a smile of her own, then turned her attention back outward and frowned. "I am wondering, Mistress. How has Takashi reacted to these probes? They have to be triggering his wards, as well as ours, if these people are truly unaware of Deva magic."

Hayate frowned herself, also looking back out across the campus. "They are, and he is less than pleased. But... he has so far refused to discuss it with me. He insists that he will track down the intruder and deal with them himself, unless I catch them first. He seems to be treating this as a training exercise for me, something push my control over the Deva magic. It would be understandable, if he were not risking _my kids_ in the lesson. The next time he comes through, I'm going to have to speak very sharply with him about that."

------------------------------

Signum was quietly surprised at the tone of Hayate's reply. Her Mistress had always been very forgiving where Takashi was concerned, very careful not to judge him too harshly, or give him any but the most polite of rebukes. Her response to Signum's question was rather more vehement than Signum had expected. Then Hayate's emphasis registered, and Signum had to work very hard not to chuckle herself.

_My kids._

_She really does think of them as hers,_ Signum thought to herself, _despite the age difference. That makes them family, and based on how she reacts to us being in danger, when she knows we can take care of ourselves... She's almost as overprotective of them as we are of her._ It was a rare moment of insight into her Mistress, and into her own nature, telling Signum that, whatever her Mistress was normally like, Hayate-sama truly meant what she had told her student's parents. _Whatever it costs, they will be safe._

_I think maybe I won't tell her about the computers, just yet,_ Signum decided. _Aria and I have it in hand, and there's only the one attempt that we can't trace to a student._ Admittedly, a direct attempt to hack into the Academy's secure server was a far more immediate danger than probes which had penetrated only the outermost ring of magical wards, but it was also more limited in scope. Most of the attempts had clearly been students, only one had not been provably a student, and that could still be one of them being a little more creative than usual. So Signum held her peace, and made a mental note to discuss with Aria how to verify that the only hackers they were faced with were the ones they were supposed to be teaching. Aria might be touchy, she and her sister were far more obediently loyal than Signum or the other Velka Knights, but she was also smart, intelligent, and would probably agree that there was no need to worry Hayate at this early a date. _Once we've got more information than a large selection of negatives,_ Signum decided, _then we'll tell her. When she can make an informed decision, instead of just worrying._

------------------------------

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

Noriko sighed softly, hopefully too softly for her companion to hear, then finished pulling the door closed behind her. It gave a slight _whuff_, the air-tight seal taking hold, and she felt a small thrill of accomplishment as she finished the arcane seal, closing the workroom's shields, as well as its doors. Only once that was done did she turn back to Cidela and reply, "Yes, I'm sure. We both need the practice, and Lotte-sensei told us that once our control was good enough to seal the workrooms behind us, we could use them to practice unsupervised."

"But she did not give you or I specific permission to do so, and Laura-san was restricted to quarters for this." Cidela did not sound frightened, so much as uncertain. Noriko figured it was the girl's natural reticence, rather than worry about punishment that caused her nerves.

"Cid-chan, Laura was grounded because she tried this when her control was _not _good enough for her to be in here alone," Noriko explained. "Mine is, and so is yours. Or at least, it would be if you were a little more confident in yourself. Now, come on. We've only got an hour or so until dinner, and I want to see if I can get this down before class tomorrow. Lotte-sensei's supposed to be showing us external barrier's tomorrow, and I wanted to see if what my old sensei taught me will still work, like it did with the armor."

"I'm sorry, Noriko-san."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Cid-chan." Noriko made a face at her companion, "To be honest, I'd be in here alone, but I'm afraid myself, of what might happen with no one knowing where I am to go looking. What if I blow myself up like Laura?"

The two girls walked into the center of the small chamber, and there dropped into lotus and spent a few minutes running through the exercises Lotte-sensei had taught them to start every lesson with. First basic breathing and light meditation to calm themselves, through mental exercises to put them in conscious control of the flow of energies out of their linker cores. Once her own preparations were complete, Noriko opened her eyes to find Cidela already done and waiting for her.

_I know I'm fast, but this girl really needs to learn to pay attention to what she's doing,_ Noriko complained to herself. _How can someone that good have such low confidence?_

Breaking off her mental debate, Noriko explained, "I'm going to try to build up a personal barrier, just a low-grade shield. If I can do it with what Lotte-sensei's taught us already, I think I'll be able to generate one over my whole body. Can you just monitor, keep an eye on me, and make sure I don't keel over from exhaustion? It'd be embarrassing to drain myself dry right before dinner." They had already talked about this, in considerably more detail, but Lotte-sensei had emphasized that they could never be too repetitive in being sure they understood what they were doing.

Cidela actually smiled at that, slightly, and nodded. "I'll keep watch over you, Noriko-san."

The initial stages were just what Noriko had told Cidela. She worked her way through a series of mental exercises she had learned from her father and tutors, exercises that were supposedly designed to concentrate her _ki_, sharpen her mental defenses, and protect her from outside influence. She had not paid much attention before arriving at the Academy, because only the most basic, meditative exercises had seemed to have any effect. Now, with what she had learned from Yagami-sensei and Lotte-sensei, she thought she could see the applicability of those exercises to actual magic, and tried them once more with the power of her linker core included.

The effects were rather less than she had expected. Her energies spun out, surely enough, but rather than the enveloping shields she had expected when the last of the exercises was finished, there was only a wisp of energy, a fog that clouded her senses beyond a very close range. It interfered somewhat with her sense of Cidela's presence, creating a haze that made it difficult to define the other girl's position, but little more than that. The workroom's shields were even harder to sense, just a vague, all-encompassing sense of confinement looming from a distance, where before they had been sharply delineated, closely enfolding borders to the world.

"That's... interesting," Noriko muttered, studying the effect.

"Umm, Noriko-san? What are you doing?" Cidela's voice was more curious than afraid, but the other girl was obviously concerned about something.

"Just trying to build a shield."

"Am I supposed to be inside it?"

Noriko blinked, lost her concentration, and the fog dissipated in an instant, energy fading away to be absorbed by the workroom's shields. The sudden release gave Noriko a bit of a head-rush, but she shook it off, and answered, "No, Cid-chan, you weren't. What did you see?"

Cidela closed her eyes, and began recounting, "I felt you start to shape the energies, then they were spiraling out from you. I thought you would form a... a wall, or something, but instead the energy kept flowing outwards, until it was all around us. It was like a sand-storm... lots of small particles of energy suspended in the air. It made it hard to see, and harder to sense, especially off that way," she gestured past Noriko, indicating the corner of the room furthest from her.

"That's what I felt, as well," Noriko muttered, "but it wasn't what was supposed to happen."

"What were you focusing on?"

"Protection, from outside forces. The exercises are supposed to make me difficult to influence, difficult to locate spiritually, and so forth and so on. Instead, I got this fog of power that'll announce my presence to all and sundry."

Cidela nodded along, then interrupted further explanation, "I think that is what happened, Noriko-san. That sort of energy-fog, it would be difficult to sense through over any distance, and I imagine working through it, on something within it, would be equally difficult."

"You've got a point," Noriko admitted, considering the analogies. "A good one. Ships and aircraft fear fog more than most other weather, after all. But I really wanted to get a solid shield up."

"Maybe if you focus on that," Cidela commented, "a wall between you and the world, instead of just making yourself hard to find."

"A wall between me and the world..." Noriko repeated, trailing off as she considered the idea, testing it in her mind. "Okay, give me a minute to think over how to go about it, and I'll give that a shot."

She rolled it about, trying, based on the exercises she had just completed and what they had so far covered in class, to figure out how to create a physical barrier with incorporeal energy. Once she had the idea firmly in mind, she began channeling her power once again, wrapping it about herself like an egg shell. It seemed to work, as her sense of Cidela waned, and when she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by the thinnest haze of pinkish-white energy.

She started to smile, then reached out and touched it. She felt the physical contact, like a tickle on her mind, and the shield dissolved, almost instantly, in a soundless pulse of power. "Kuso," she muttered, then flinched and looked about reflexively, half expecting one of her tutors to appear and whack her upside the head for being so un-lady-like as to curse.

"That was almost it," Cidela said, "But there was something... off about it. Unstable."

"No structural support," Noriko muttered, "The power was in the right shape, but nothing was holding it together except my will. Once I lost focus, it fell apart."

"Can you build in a support structure? Or can you keep it up without focusing all of your mind on it?"

"Maybe," Noriko replied, rubbing her ear in thought. "Maybe a cross between the two?"

"What do you mean?"

"Each of those fog particles was fairly self-contained," Noriko explained slowly, reasoning it out as she went, "like drops of water. But if you put enough drops of water together, you get a river, or a waterfall. If I put enough of those particles together, maybe I can spin them larger, create plates, instead of drops, and join those together..."

Cidela was frowning at her, "Can you manage that level of control? I know you're further along than the rest of us, but are you that far along?"

Noriko grinned back, "No time like the present to find out, ne?"

"You're just like Laura-san," Cidela muttered, "leaping in head first with no notion of how deep the water is. You just hide it better."

"Hai! Why do you think we get along so well?"

"Just make your attempt. We'll have to call it a day after this, it's almost time for dinner."

Noriko settled for nodding back, and turned her attention inwards once more. This time, she combined both the exercises she had been taught in years past, and the concept she had come up with moments gone. Spinning out the particles of energy into discs was simple enough, when done singly, but forming a multitude at once was taxing. She settled for small, tiny little things the size of pinheads, but infinitely numerous. Once she had enough, she began placing them, overlapping them ever so slightly, creating a pattern of scales in a dome about herself. It was terribly draining, and she could feel herself sweating with the effort, but she persevered, until she finally had the dome up over her head.

When she opened her eyes this time, there was no haze, just a dome, glowing a soft pink, narrow and tall, but smooth to the eye. She started to laugh in joy, then felt the entire edifice shudder as her concentration wavered, and brought herself back under control. Celebration could come later, for now she had to test this, to see if it was working like she thought it was.

She reached out with one hand, not very far, as the shield touched the floor barely an inch clear of her knee. Gently, she pressed her fingers against the shield, praying it would hold. This time, it did, yielding and shifting slightly under her finger tips, like piled sequins, individual scales shifting over one another, not quite a liquid, but close. She let herself smile then, feeling that thrill of success she never quite got enough of. The smile faded quickly, as her eyes found a discrepancy, a darker patch on the shield where her fingers had passed.

Noriko pulled her hand back, and that was when she felt it – a tugging, just under the skin of her finger tips, like needles pulling free. It was just barely enough to feel, and when she flipped her hand over, and stared at her finger tips, she was shocked to find them bleeding, covered in small razor-perfect lacerations. She literally felt no pain until that moment, watching the blood welling up, when suddenly her finger tips felt like they were on fire, and she hissed in pain, curling around her injured hand instinctively. The cuts were small, but in the manner of all such wounds, stung out of all proportion to their seriousness. The pain also caused her to lose concentration, and the shield collapsed, scales cascading to the ground about her in a waterfall that dissipated into nothing.

Cidela was crouched next to her almost immediately, "Noriko-san? Are you all right?"

"Cut my fingers," Noriko muttered, then turned to cursing herself. "Stupid girl! Discs of power, I spun them out, but forget to give them depth!"

"Let me see."

Cidela's order, and the tone of it especially, were so out of character, that Noriko found herself complying before thinking, holding out her hand to Cidela without hesitation. The shy, self-effacing younger girl was staring at Noriko's fingertips with frightening focus, and took the injured hand in one of hers, cupping it to hold the fingers upright.

"I've done this before," she said, sounding as if she was talking more to herself than to Noriko. "Always, little things. This is little, this is minor. Skin has lost its connections, blood where it should not be..." Cidela's hands were glowing now, a soft deep green, and Noriko could feel a tingling spreading through her hand, as Cidela's voice continued, "... it wants to heal, it is already trying, just the power is lacking, the help, a little encouragement here and there..."

Cidela continued, free hand brushing over the pattern of cuts one finger at a time, and Noriko could only watch in amazement. Wherever Cidela's glowing hand passed, there was nothing but a faint trace of blood left. No cuts, no wounds, no pain, not even the tingling that was now spreading up her arm. When Cidela finally sat back, looking as winded as Noriko felt, all the Japanese girl could do was blink in wonder and wiggle her nearly un-marked fingers. Only a collection of faint white lines remained, mini-scars that she could already tell would fade away within days.

"That was amazing, Cid-chan," she said finally, looking up to find Cidela studying her own fingertips.

"Um, I'm sorry, Noriko-san," Cidela muttered, "I shouldn't have done that."

That was more like the Cidela Noriko knew, but was still almost incomprehensible. "Sorry? For healing me? Don't be sorry, Cid-chan, that's amazing! When did you learn that?"

Cidela blushed, and ducked her head a little further, but refused to answer.

"She has always known how to do that," Shamal said, and both girls flinched in surprise, whipping around to face the door. Shamal just smiled gently at them, and waved away Noriko's attempt to stammer an explanation, simultaneously moving closer to crouch beside them. "Cidela-chan has been healing others for years now, instinctively. It is this gift which brought her to Mistress Hayate's attention. Though I thought we agreed that you would not do anything outside our lessons?"

"I'm sorry, sensei," Cidela whispered, "But I couldn't help it. I never can. Whenever I see someone hurt, it just wells up, and..."

Shamal ruffled her hair gently, "Shh, Cidela, I understand. But you need to work on _not_ healing. If you give in so easily, you could drain yourself dangerously trying to heal too much at once. Something for us to work on. And you, Noriko-san," she turned that motherly smile on Noriko, and Noriko knew she was doomed. Her own mother saved that particular smile for when she had done something wonderfully precocious at exactly the wrong moment, and her fears were soon confirmed, "I believe Signum will be quite interested in that shield of yours. She is always interested in new barriers. You'll talk with her at dinner, about tutoring after classes, ne?"

Noriko sucked in a breath to try and argue, then paused, thought better of it, and let the breath out in a huff as Shamal's smile grew slightly. The woman did not have a malicious or vicious bone in her body, but she had already demonstrated that she was just as iron-willed as her fellow teachers. "Hai, Shamal-sensei."

------------------------------

Hayate stood looking on a ledge of rock, looking down the length of her valley, wings furled, Reinforce cradled in her arms. It was a cold night, though not bitterly so, and clear to the near-full moon, giving her a beautiful view. The silvery moonlight cast odd, mystical shadows over the mountains and valley, and the campus was a tiny bit of brightness amidst the trees. It was late enough that, had she been close enough, she could have heard the Lieze twins chivying the students to bed, and she would have been contemplating going to sleep herself. But she had something to take care of first, and she had delayed it longer than she should have.

"You should be wearing a jacket," Takashi rumbled from behind her. "It's cold enough to give Signum a cold, and that woman's icy enough to put Antarctica to shame." Hayate ignored his comments, continuing to watch the valley while he walked out of the darkness to stand at her side. "Still, this is a pretty spot. Bit hard to get out of, if someone attacks, though."

"It is a fortress," Hayate replied, "difficult to approach, difficult to attack, difficult even to know it is here."

"But someone does know it's here, and they don't want you to know who they are."

Hayate finally looked at him, glaring slightly. "So you are_ finally_ willing to tell me what you know of these probes?"

Takashi gave her a speaking look, then returned to studying the valley. "They are difficult to trace," he admitted after a few moments, "they appear to be placing more emphasis on remaining unknown than on testing your defenses, for the moment. It would appear that your magic worries them. You should have been more subtle in your wards, created them so that they would not reveal themselves to traditional mages when tripped."

"They have to warn more than just me," Hayate countered, "and I have created some that only report to me, now. When did you become aware of these attempts?"

"The same time you did," he replied easily.

"Why didn't you discuss them with me?" Hayate had to struggle not to yell, but this felt like a betrayal, of trust if nothing else. "Why have you refused to do so ever since?"

"You were aware of them yourself, and I felt it better to pursue these intruders myself, independently. Whoever they are, they will be expecting you, they are less likely to expect, detect, or understand me and the threat I represent."

"You will tell me if you find them?" Hayate's voice was less a question than an order, especially as she continued, "_Before _doing anything about them."

He again turned his attention to her, though this time he was almost glaring. Still, his voice was as even and un-inflected as ever. "Understand me, musume, I respect you and thank you for what you have done for me and for your other accomplishments, but do not ever think you can give me orders."

Hayate matched his glare with one of her own, "This is a threat to my school, to me, and to my _students_, not to you. You're involvement is solely because of my involvement. If you will not agree to bring your findings to me before taking action, I will sweep your wards clean from this place and do everything in my power to banish you from this world." She placed a hand on his arm before he could protest, relenting for fear of having to fulfill that threat, "Takashi, please. I do not _want _to do any such thing, but I am responsible for everything magic-related that happens on this world. I cannot allow you to simply go about punishing people for annoying me. If they are truly a threat to my students, I will allow you to do whatever you wish with them, before taking them in hand myself. If they are someone curious about my school and uncertain if they can trust me, then I will need to contact them peacefully. Either way, I need to make that decision, or I will loose face and power with the Bureau, and that will leave me unable to protect you, my knights, or my students, from their interference."

"And if it is the first pretending to be the second?"

"I am not so trusting as all that," Hayate replied. "I do not believe it to be the second, but I cannot simply discard the option, however remote a possibility. There's also this, Takashi. I have gone to great lengths to protect you. I have staked my personal reputation, even my personal freedom, on my impression of you, but you are testing that impression, making me wonder if I did the right thing in freeing you. Did I? Or will you turn on me, use the freedom I gained you to prove yourself what everyone else believes you to be?"

He studied her for a few more seconds, then shook his head slightly, "Always the responsible one. While I applaud your maturity, I have to wonder, do you ever relax?"

Hayate smiled slightly, taking his change of topic for agreement. He would never admit to doing what she told him to, she knew that about him. But she could be certain now that he would do as she asked. "I am always relaxed, Takashi," she lied, knowing he would not call her on it, "and yes, I have my hobbies. Wait until it snows, these mountains are beautiful in the winter from above." She turned back to the valley, and gestured at the expanse, "all of this will be shrouded in white, cloaked in purity, and so peacefully quiet. It will be beautiful."

He nodded, "I'll think about stopping by." Then he was strolling away back into the darkness.

"My class is at two in the afternoon," she called out, "Room two hundred and four, classroom building. Be there tomorrow, please, so I can introduce you to my students in a more appropriate manner."

"I have no interest in meeting your students," he replied, "I have seen all of them I need to in order to determine their capabilities."

"I do not care if you are interested," she countered. "They are getting too adventurous too quickly, and need a reminder of how dangerous this work is. Tomorrow, two in the afternoon, room two hundred and four."

This time he did not answer, just walked away. A moment later, she felt his portal open and the sense of him faded to almost nothing, but Hayate let it be. _If he's not there tomorrow, he will be the day after,_ she told herself.

She stayed there for a few more minutes, reaching out to study her wards, and his, checking again that they were undisturbed and uncompromised. She had to stop herself from building more wards on to the nearer sections of the perimeter. _You're becoming paranoid, Hayate,_ she chastised herself. _The wards in place will suffice to give us warning, and we are the only beings on Earth powerful enough to stand against us._

Now if only her worries would actually responded to logic.

------------------------------

Eni Li'Nave: Wow, thank you for that detailed review, really. You're probably right about a proof-reader. I try to do that myself, but I'm only human, and I hate asking people for things, so... c'est la vie. Apologies, and please bear with my anti-social tendencies? Remember, I'm old, so I'm set in my ways:) As for the reactions of the students to the teachers, that's probably the most entertaining part of this... seeing how 'normal' people react to the outré characters from the series. You are right that Cidela's reaction to Hayate is rather over-stated, but I've seen stronger reactions on shorter exposures, so it's not too far out of line for a teenager, and that is just Cidela's POV. I try to write each section from a single character's POV, including their assumptions & opinions, though the focus is not always on that character. All in all, you've raised a lot of good points. I only wish I could answer most of them directly, but some of them are part of the plot, so I'll just say I hope I satisfy those as the story goes on. I will say that the major weakness of the Deva-type magic is inherent, you can probably figure it out from the descriptions in Vengeance. And remember, Hayate's peacable mein only cracked once in the series, under the worst possible stress, but when she did loose it, it was big...:)


	6. 06 Risky Business

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 06 – Risky Business -

Laura charged down the stairs at her usual break-neck pace, two at a time and hands in her pockets instead of on the rails. Signum, Shamal and Aria were always on her case about it, or things like it, but she could not help it. Moving slower was just... impossible. How could she slow down, when there were so many cool things to look into, especially around the Academy?

She was in the Grand High Archive of Mysteries Arcane, known to everyone else as the library. It was a good one, she was the first to admit that. Half the 'books' were actually digital, on the plethora of workstations scattered about, but those that weren't were... esoteric and eccentric, as her brother would have put it. Everything from text books on boring traditional subjects, to things under lock-and-key that were labeled 'grimoire' or 'codex' or the like. Sure, libraries were quiet places, where she had to calm down at least a little, but there weren't enough people in the Academy to make that really necessary, so she mostly just had to watch herself around the teachers, which was just as true anywhere else.

Glancing around the open first floor, she spotted the head of black hair she was looking for over a stack of books, and trotted over. Noriko was studying something, probably working on the report for Vita-sensei's history class. Which thought caused Laura to giggle. Who could imagine the short, feisty red-head teaching something as boring and stodgy as History? But Vita had a habit of treating it more as epic story-telling than dry facts, which made it interesting and occasionally even thrilling.

Noriko did not look up as she approached, so she dropped, in the utterly boneless manner that drove everyone else nuts, into a free chair at the table, draping one leg over an arm, then sang out, "Hey, Riko-chan, how's it goin'?"

"My name is Noriko, Laura," Noriko replied, not looking up for a moment. Then her head came up from behind the book she had propped beside the terminal, eyes quizzical over her small reading glasses. She studied Laura for a moment, obviously taking in her relaxed posture and lopsided grin, then groaned, "Kami-sama, Laura, what have you done _this_ time?"

Laura just grinned wider, amused that Noriko, who was completely unlike any of her friends back home, had developed some of their typical responses so very quickly. "Nothing much. Just doing some research for Lotte-sensei's class." She added plaintively, "why does everyone always assume I've done something wrong?"

"Because you've gotten in more trouble than any three of us combined," Noriko shot back immediately. "I'm all for independence and exploration, Laura, but really. You were allowed out what... two days?... before you got yourself grounded again for trying to 'borrow' Graff Eisen? Speaking of which, aren't you still grounded, since it happened yesterday?"

Laura waved that away, "Signum-sensei let me loose for a little training session. She's freaky-scary, but cool. Did you know she can cut straight through a concrete column with that sword? No spells, just the blade and her will."

Noriko dropped her head and muttered, almost too softly to hear, "please tell me she dropped it on your head."

"No, that would've hurt. She had me put it back together for her, a bunch of 'em, actually, out past the class building. Said it was training in 'detail work and patience'."

"Who's patience, hers? Why aren't you still there?"

"'Cause she finished her own training, and I got them all put back together. So, I thought I'd do a little research."

Noriko looked up at her again, this time suspiciously. "I happen to know you've finished the report for Vita-sensei, and that we don't have any other projects due at the moment that would require 'research'. So, while you understand that doing so constitutes an act of courage worthy of international recognition, I have to ask, _what_ are you researching?"

Laura grinned, feeling a thrill of excitement as she predicted Noriko's reaction. _Bet she pitches a fit, then buys in,_ Laura thought, _I should've brought a camera, her face'll be priceless._ "Oh, just this." Each of the students had been provided with a large PDA in place of more traditional computers, and now Laura turned hers on and slid it across. She had left the relevant document open in full expectation to showing it to _someone _soon. It was just her good fortune that someone was Noriko, instead of one of the teachers. _I'd've had a devil of a time keeping Signum-san from finding out who helped me get it._

Her friend frowned at the PDA, studying the document for a moment, then her eyes widened, her skin paled, and she sucked in a breath, before hissing out, "_Principles of Construction of Intelligent Devices_?! This is straight out of the high security archives! What were you thinking? You could get expelled for this, Laura!"

"Hey, keep your voice down," Laura muttered. "I found a back door, and if they didn't want us looking, they shouldn't've told us it was there, ne?"

"They told us so we _wouldn't _go looking! Put it back! Delete it and forget you ever saw it!"

Laura snagged the PDA back, falling back to recline in her chair again. She flipped it around and started paging through the document. "Oh, come on, 'Riko-chan, you know you're interested. This thing has everything on how to build them, and I've already got it. Heck, we can get almost everything we need right here on campus without any special permissions at all."

Noriko was truly cradling her head in her hands now, shaking it slowly. "You are insane, Laura. I knew it the moment I first laid eyes on you, and now you're trying to drag me down with you. If they catch you building a device without permission, they'll go insane, Laura. Not 'locked in a room' mad, not 'call your parents' mad, _insane_. Signum-sensei, you remember her, don't you? Signum-sensei will destroy you, then put you back together again so she can give you to Yagami-sama."

"No they won't," Laura countered, then leaned forward, "look, what have they consistently told us about what they'll let us do? When we prove we have the control, we can do it. You and I can both close the workrooms…Okay, so you can close all of them, and I can manage the small ones, but we can both manage some… so we're allowed to use them unsupervised. This is the same sort of thing - when we prove we can build them, they'll show us how to use them. Look, you don't know computers even as well as I do, let alone like Allina or Noah, so you don't understand. This thing was _not_ secured. Oh, sure, someone from outside couldn't get to it, and I had to play fast and loose with the truth to get _my_ hands on it, but it was not 'secured'. No, the secure stuff is a lot harder to reach... The high security archive interfaces something weird on the back end. Allina's determined to get in there, she thinks it might be a purely magical computer, or something."

"Regardless," Noriko replied, "we were specifically told not to go near the secure server, Laura, and these things are dangerous. You _do_ remember what you were just telling me a minute ago, about what Signum-sensei can do with Levantine, ne?"

"Yeah, I remember, but I'm not talking about having one tomorrow, just starting to put it together, we'll finish it later, once we know how. We probably won't figure out the last bits until a little before they're ready to give us a device anyhow. Come on, you know you want one, too. And I'm going to need some help to figure out the more complicated parts of it and get some of the stranger parts."

"I am _not_ debating whether or not to help you, Laura," Noriko told her in the most repressive voice she could manage, "I am debating whether or not to turn you in."

_I was right,_ Laura smiled, both to herself and to Noriko, _This's the fit, now to get her to sign on..._ "But Noriko, don't you want to know what else I've found? What I think is on that server beyond the secure server?" She swapped documents, but this time did not hold it out.

Noriko was instantly suspicious, "What do you mean, what else you've found?"

Reading off the document, but dropping her voice to a true whisper, Laura answered, "and I quote, 'despite its apparent instability, Yagami Hayate's linker core appears both stable and resilient. It bears none of the hallmarks of being artificially created, such as can be found in certain rare Lost Logia.' Not sure what those are, but I'm guessing artifacts like she mentioned were dangerous." Laura glanced up to find Noriko leaning towards her, a conflicted expression on her face. "Anywho, the guy rambles on about her linker core for a while, but here's the part you should find interesting. 'This apparent instability appears to be directly related to the source of her newfound magical abilities, which appear to modify the underlying fabric of reality on a fundamental level, rather than manipulating the energy inherent in all living things.' end quote. It's a lot longer, of course, but..." She trailed off smiling at Noriko, who was outright glaring at her now.

"Let me finish this report," Noriko growled after a minute. "I'll take a look at the documents tonight, after dinner, start figuring out how to get the materials. Do _nothing_ until I tell you, or you'll get us all caught, and so help me, if you get me caught for this..."

Laura just grinned a little wider before heaving up out of her chair. "No problem, Riko-chan! See you after dinner!"

"My name is Noriko!"

------------------------------

Mariachi settled back against the tree, working slightly to get a comfortable seat, legs out straight but slightly bent at the knees to cradle his guitar. Once he was settled, he took a little time to look around, watching as his classmates and a couple of his teachers moved about the campus themselves. It was early afternoon on a Saturday, cloudy weather but not dark enough for rain, and significantly colder than he was used to, though between his jacket and Niranjana's adaptation of one of their control exercises, he was comfortable enough.

_Strange, I never thought I would care for anyplace other than the deserts of home,_ he thought, settling his guitar in his lap. He had not expected to be comfortable here at all. It was a foreign country, made up of strange terrain, with weird foods and weirder people. But Signum had offered him a route out of the orphanage, and its attendant poverty, that did not involve drugs, gangs, or worse, so he had leapt at her offer without much thought. Only to find, now that he was here, that the people were not so strange as he expected, the food was interesting, and the weather comfortable, if chilly.

Taking his time tuning his instrument, he kept most of his attention outwards at the moment, considering each person as they walked past. Noah was sitting on a bench with Yussef in the dorm quad, debating something or other from the former's gesticulations. Niranjana was headed for the library, Allina walking with her, both of them with noses buried in their PDAs. They were probably arguing as well, but cybernetically. Zafira had Luke, Ichigo and Juliet off to one side of the dorms discussing who-knew-what, Shamal was sitting under her own tree reading, and Laura was just leaving the library, whistling a song he did not know badly off key. Most of the people on campus were outside, and a stranger audience he never had.

By then, the strings were taught, and he turned his attention inwards, to the music that had given him his name. Hector, the nuns had called him when no family miraculously appeared to claim him as a babe, but he had never liked the name. It was too plain, too simple, too orphan. As long as he could remember, however, he had been able to make music, from rhythms tapped out on a desk to, after long years, real songs played on a beaten up hand-made guitar older than he was, passed down from one of the older kids at the orphanage, who taught him to play. Mariachi had passed that guitar on in turn, and the one after it just a bare year before, and left the third with the nuns, since all of them belonged to the orphanage, not to him.

He had been surprised to find this one waiting in his assigned room, the day he checked in. He had been more surprised when he took it out to check it over. While it was no top-flight fancy work of art from some European 'artiste', it was solidly made, with a full mellow sound, arrow-straight lines, and good metal strings. It was also hand made – from a small town in Mexico a few miles from his orphanage, if the maker's mark on the back of the neck was to be believed. It was worlds away better than what he had left in Mexico, but not so much so that he was worried about using it. Which consideration was yet another example of the odd sort of balance he had come to expect from his teachers.

As his fingers began picking through the warm-up exercises he had learned on his first guitar, his thoughts turned to those teachers. Signum had been the first he met, while Shamal spoke with the nuns. Of the two, only Signum had seemed to fit in at all. Shamal was simply too nice, too motherly, to fit in at the orphanage. Signum, though... she had been a picture of discipline and control, exerting authority with her mere presence that even the nuns had acknowledged, however silently. In point of fact, she had scared the sin out of him, as the nuns put it, and still did to some extent, but the offer had been too good to pass up. Shamal had helped, with her comments on music-driven magic, but by then he would have been willing to take almost any offer that got him out of there.

Zafira and the Lotte sisters had been strange, but given their behavior and obvious camaraderie with the others, easy enough to get used to. Zafira was so matter-of-fact and pragmatic it was hard to get worked up by his ears and tail, and the few comments he had let slip on honor had meshed with the stories and myths Mariachi had grown up liking. Aria was also calm enough and friendly enough not to be worrisome, though she was way too smart for him to be comfortable actually talking to her. Her sister, Lotte, had been a bit much to deal with at first, but Mariachi had known too many other kids who were just as hyperactive, and too many cats with just as short an attention span, to fear that. Laura was worse, in his opinion, if only because the silly girl seemed to fear absolutely nothing. Even Miss Yagami had been easy enough for him to figure out – older than she looked, but not as old as she should have been, powerful but also powerfully nervous.

The warm-ups finished, a little quicker than was probably good in this cold, but he was not here to do anything more than relax, so he just let his fingers flow. They strummed away for a few notes, random sounds that slowly evolved into a song. Still, most of his attention was not on the music, not yet. It would take time, even with the warm-ups, for him to become involved enough in playing to have to focus on it, so his thoughts continued to wander.

The only one who bothered him, in all honesty, was Vita. She was a teacher, and had, like all of the teachers, given demonstration of the power at her command in Lotte's practical course. But everything about her fit more with the students he was used to than the teachers. He'd known gang members who were not as volatile as she was, though she was less likely to actually carry through on her threats. The death's-head t-shirt and multitude of studded belts and bracelets, her usual wear when not in the armor all the teachers wore for class, was just not something a teacher, or any woman as old as she _claimed_ to be, should be wearing. Then there was her endlessly inventive sarcasm, and her hair-trigger temper, all combined with someone who looked young enough to be his kid sister. It had taken him hours to realize she had called him an idiot, the first time he got her mad, though he had known _instantly_ that he had made her mad. Not that he was about to mention any of that to _her_, oh no. He was not crazy, to tempt fate when her response was so easily predicted.

As for his fellow students, he was both impressed and disappointed. They were all as intelligent and hard working as he could have wished for, and then some. He was used to being the smart one in class, but now had to work to keep up. He was fully aware, much to his chagrin, that he was not even within shouting distance of someone like Niranjana, who apparently had the ability to hold entire encyclopedias in her head at once, but all in all that was a good sort of challenge, and there were none of the idiots who used to annoy him in class. The disappointing aspect was how... normal... they all were. They were smarter than he was used to, more hard-working than he was used to, but there was still a mix of jokers and straights, jocks and brains. They had similar hobbies, similar tastes in entertainment and, most importantly, similar-enough tastes in music. Not that they were the same, but in broad terms they all liked the same sort of things.

All of which taken together meant that the only thing he could really complain about was the lack of time for him to indulge in the past time which gave him the name he preferred: music. Before, when not in class or seeing to chores, he had been free to play whenever and wherever he wanted. It had even _become_ a 'chore', the last few years, when he proved good enough to entertain the younger children and keep them calm. Here, however, his school-work was actually _work_, which thus took time he used to fill playing music. So here he sat on a Saturday, while the others relaxed and pursued their own interests, letting the sound of the strings fill his ears.

Only, even doing this, he could not stop his studying. Listening to the music, letting it flow from one piece to another, he could feel the power within him stirring gently, trying to flow with the notes. It had done this every time he played, since he started learning about it, and he was unsure how to deal with the interaction. It was encouraging, on the one hand, that something so familiar and integral to him would respond to the magic he was learning, but it did not behave the way Lotte and Miss Yagami were teaching them. There was no sense of drawing the energy out, of bending it to his will, there was just the power melding with the music.

This time, he was actually trying to draw that out. Carefully, carefully, he had no interest in actually _doing_ anything, he was just getting used to the way this felt. The power rose around him, as much as through him, a gentle swell and shift in time with the notes he played, growing and flowing with the song. It definitely felt different, but as he segued from samba to jazz, he began to see that, despite the feel, there were similarities to what he was learning. This method was slower, but he could see how _what _he played influenced how the power formed, which could eventually generate magical effects. The slower pieces brought steadier but slower flow of energy, creating stable subtle effects, playing faster, more complicated pieces, created more obvious effects, but more fluctuating power levels.

"Oi, chibi-gaki, you should be doing that in a workroom."

The jarring voice caused him to loose his concentration, and a painful miss-note sounded before he slammed his palm against the strings to still them, blinking up in surprise. "Apologies, Vita… sensei," he said, "I was not actually doing anything."

"You were sitting here playin' tunes and calling up magic. Outside a workroom." She was standing over him, glaring down with her hands on her hips, and the look on her face was exactly what he would have expected.

But that t-shirt was just too funny, so he could not take her seriously. "Sorry, ma'am, I was just playing."

"Go play in a workroom."

He shrugged, "I'm not allowed in any of them alone yet, not after Laura's little experiment got us banned prior to testing with Miss Yagami. I'll promise not to call up the magic again while I play, instead."

She glared at him for a moment, then shook her head, "How are you doing that, anyway? Magic takes focus, discipline, control. How can someone with such little training do that and attack our ears at the same time? I mean, sure, Nanoha-chan can, but she's the second best mage in the galaxy. What were you doing?"

Mariachi shrugged, unwilling to try to explain, but equally unwilling not to obey a teacher's orders. "Just playing. The power comes when I play, since I started here. I was just trying to see if it was something I could control."

"Don't wanna loose the music, ne?"

"Don't want to loose the magic," he countered with a smile. "I'll take music over magic any day."

She gave him a weird, disbelieving look, then shook her head, "Kami you're weird, Mariachi. Come on. You're not doin' anything, and I'm bored watching the rest of you kids run around and play. Let's go see if your music's bad enough to blow yourself up."

He blinked, then tried to temporize, "Ah, I wouldn't want to waste your time, Vita-sensei. I'd really rather just..."

"Figure out what you're doing? Sure you do. 'Course, you can't, 'cause you kids don't have a clue yet, but that's why this here's a school."

"It's Saturday," he reminded her, trying again, "a day off."

"Tche, maybe in those barbarian countries out east. You're in Japan now, gaki. School's supposed to be every day but Sunday, and all year long." She grinned at him, not viciously, but obviously relishing a challenge, "Unless of course, you want to bother Signum on her day off?"

He would have preferred that, actually. Signum was tough, but so had been the nuns, which made her a relatively known quantity. But he could tell that saying so would make Vita mad, get him stuck with Signum _in addition _to Vita, or both. _Well, I was going to work on this anyhow,_ he sighed to himself, _may as well get some expert advice while I'm at it._ He shoved himself to his feet, slinging the guitar at the same time, then hesitated for a moment, surprised once again to find himself taller than his teacher. He recovered, and half bowed, "Lead on, Vita-sensei."

She glared at him for a moment, then threw up her hands and turned for the classroom building, "Gah, don't give in so easily next time. What's with you kids? Laura's the only one who'll really argue with me! It's no challenge if you don't argue! Come on, let's see what you can do."

Mariachi followed in verbal silence, though his fingers started picking at the strings again unconsciously. They were walking into the building before he realized he was playing a funeral dirge, and he prayed Vita did not recognize it. Though she might find it amusing. He simply could not figure her out.

------------------------------

Floating through another turn, Hayate marveled at the sight below her. Miles upon miles of open, rocky desert, covered in hardy scrubby plants, populated by the strangest manner of creatures. The mid-afternoon sun painted the whole region vibrant shades of gold and red that made her want to just stop and stare. Central to her view, the point about which her flight orbited, was a near-solitary mountain, low and smooth-sided, but hulking huge in the expanse of desert.

_Hard to believe that is a single rock,_ she thought, then grinned, _Luke-kun would be quite enjoying this, I think, flying above this landmark, so close to his home._

"We should have asked Luke for information," Zafira echoed her thought, flying beside and just behind her. "Even if he's never been to Ayers Rock, or spoken with the Aborigines, he's still Australian."

"I will not bring students on these jobs, Zafira," she reminded.

"Didn't say bring him, I said we should have asked him for information. There is a difference, Hayate-sama."

She sighed, nodding in unwilling agreement, but it simply had not occurred to her until they were already in-country. "I doubt he could assist us with this. Whatever is causing the disturbance is our sort of magic, not Australian."

The two of them had come in response to a still un-detailed but powerful magical event that's energy levels passed the warning thresholds of the satellites the Bureau had left in high orbit for her. Not powerful enough to cause a dislocation, but powerful enough to be of concern. On arrival, however, they had found the incident site abandoned, though scorched, while smaller sources of active power, too small to have been involved in this incident, were moving about within several miles of the site.

More disconcerting, when she had set down upon Ayers Rock, she had felt the entire locale shift in response, a deep subtle power moving. It was not any sort of power she had ever encountered before, unstoppably vast yet weirdly localized, and her own power had resonated with it, like different instruments struggling to reach the same tune. Fortunately this new discovery had not done more than stir, before returning to somnolence, for she had encountered Lost Logia which woke to a mage's touch with terrible result, but it had still been very disconcerting, especially as Zafira felt nothing.

The site of the initial disturbance had yielded no information. It was atop the Rock, at the far end from the tourist over-look, a scorched circle on the red-gray stone some two meters across, with a faint sense of Mid-type magic clinging to the area. After verifying that there was nothing there, she and Zafira had set out in a widening circular search pattern, looking for traces of magic, or any other sign of unusual presence. A simple misdirection spell kept the tourists climbing the Rock from seeing them, and while Zafira kept watch for hostile action, Hayate searched for what or who had caused the event.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a flash of light below. At first she was uncertain why a mere glint drew her attention, until it came again, from within a deeply shadowed crevasse in the Rock's side. "There," she warned Zafira, before sharpening her turn into a spiral, descending rapidly. As her altitude decreased, she could make out a single figure perched on a rock, watching her descent, though the shadows made it difficult to determine anything else about him. She decided that, as he appeared unarmed, she would return the favor, and left the Sword of Light in its scabbard, instead un-slinging Reinforce to cradle the double-headed staff in her left arm.

The figure resolved itself into a man, dark skinned as the Aborigines, but wearing western dress, worn jeans and button-down shirt, wide-brimmed hat, heavy hiking boots. It also turned out he _was_ armed, a rifle leaning against the rock he sat on, but he made no move towards it as she and Zafira settled to earth. Neither he nor they said a word at first, merely watching each other, considering.

Finally, Hayate decided to make the first step, mentally shifting to the English used locally, and said, "Good afternoon, sir. You gave signal to us, so I would guess you wished to speak to us?"

He shrugged slowly, replying with an oddly twanging accent that was far stronger than Luke's. "I make it a point to talk to anyone like you foolish enough to come here, sheila. Tried to talk to the fools this morning, but they bugged out right quick. What're you doin' in the Outback? Not the safest place for a little girl with your abilities."

Hayate blinked, surprised to be getting this sort of warning from someone whom, as far as she could tell, had no magical abilities whatsoever. "Ah, I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, then. Though I will admit, I too came here to investigate the incident this morning. Can you tell me anything about it?"

"Could. Won't. You're not from here, you don't belong here. Your abilities are dangerous, hereabout. Have all sortsa 'unintended consequences', as my old History teacher used to say."

Hayate shook her head, "Since you did not recognize whoever was here this morning, that means they are probably my problem. They tried something here that was dangerous by my standards, though I am unprepared to comment on how dangerous it was by your standards. Whatever they did here, it is my job to keep them from doing it again, or coming back and waking whatever it is that lies bound beneath this place." She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen slightly. "I have no interest in it, whatever it is, save to keep it from waking. I have enough headaches without causing more disturbances. The strangers who acted here this morning were, even without the thing bound here, risking a cataclysmic event they could not control, the sort I am sworn to prevent and contain."

The man snorted derisively, "Yeah, I've heard lines like that before, as did my father, as did my grandfather, and so on back to the first time your people came here. Interferin' where you're not needed, willy-nilly, regardless of the thoughts and feelin's a those you're steppin' on.

"Not my people, never my people," Hayate softly, but as absolutely as she could. She knew a little of Australia's history, and found being blamed for it irksome. "Whatever has been done to you, to your family, to your people, it was not done by me or mine, and blaming me for the crimes of others is just as short-sighted and evil as whatever was done to your ancestors." She locked here eyes on his, "Either way, _I do not care_. I have a world to guard, not because I claim dominion over it, but, to paraphrase, evil only triumphs when the good do nothing. I have the power to protect this world, and I will. All I request from you is assistance, to allow me to assist you."

"You've got pretty words, girl. But not enough to convince me. Still, you're right, 'bout givin' people the benefit of the doubt. So I'll tell you this, they were not from these lands, either by birth or by choice. They spoke a tongue similar to the one you spoke above, and left once their foolishness blew up in their faces. Two of their six did not leave under their own power, though I cannot say if they left alive or not. Take that and go, 'fore I decide you're botherin' me."

Hayate was tempted to push for more, sorely tempted. Someone had come here, done something incredibly dangerous and stupid that could easily have caused a dimensional dislocation, or worse, and she needed more information. But the strange feeling of the Rock, and the fact that this man, who as far as she could tell had no magical abilities, knew about her own power, and had pierced her misdirection spell, combined to convince her to leave things be. She reached into a pocket inside her armor, and held out a small paper card. "If they come back, please call me, even if you deal with them yourself. If they are risking the strangeness here, they will be more dangerous elsewhere, and I will need to counter them there."

He cocked one eyebrow in disbelief, but he was polite enough to take the card, even though she doubted he would keep it, let alone use it. She turned on her heel, not waiting for him to say anything, and leapt into the air with a thunderous beat of wings. Zafira was a moment behind her. Switching back to Japanese, she said, "Let's get some distance before we teleport home. I don't want to risk waking whatever sleeps there."

"Whatever you say, Mistress," Zafira replied, causing her mouth to quirk slightly. His tone was infinitely respectful, as always, but there was just a little shading that told her he thought she was being paranoid.

"Better safe than sorry," she explained, "and I did feel something there."

They were back in Japan within half an hour, teleporting to the turn-off as they had for the opening day. From there, Hayate chose to walk down, pondering what she little she knew about the incident in Australia. The scarcity of information was bothersome, enough to make her very concerned.

Signum joined them as they walked up the side path to the house, "I take it you did not catch the culprits, Mistress?"

Hayate shook her head, "No, Signum, we did not. We met someone I believe to be a local mage, but he told us only that whoever did this, they were foreign, foolish, and spoke a language similar to Japanese."

"Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or a dialect thereof," Signum commented, then grimaced, "that's only a third of the world's population."

"But at least that removes two-thirds," Hayate said, trying to find some good news. "I am more concerned by a thought I had on the way home. What if the people responsible for this morning, are the same ones who keep probing our defenses? What if they are preparing for something worse?"

"Let's not borrow trouble," Signum said. "It may very well be our intruders, but it is more likely to be some other group of experimenters, unwilling to attempt a risky ritual in their own territory."

Hayate nodded, but she had a feeling Signum was wrong. But her comment on risk reminded Hayate of another issue, "Has anyone else accessed the device creation files?"

Signum grinned slightly, then shook her head. "No. Laura is the only one to manage that so far, though I believe she has shown the files to Noriko, possibly also to Niranjana and Allina. How hard do you want me to chastise them when I reclaim the files tomorrow?"

"Do not," Hayate decided on the spot, "I want to see what they can come up with."

Signum raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Mistress? A device will allow them to utilize spells orders of magnitude more powerful than anything they have learned so far. They will be far more likely to hurt each other and themselves."

Hayate nodded, analyzing her decision as she explained it, "Laura, despite her free-wheeling nature, has the fourth or fifth best control of the students. Noriko and Yussef are better, as is Cidela, and I believe Ichigo is her equal, if not slightly better. Any of them has the control necessary to handle a device, they lack only the experience and practical knowledge. I know we planned to give them their devices in the second year, but if they can build one themselves now, I see no reason not to let them. Remember, Nanoha had her device younger, with less control and more power."

"Nanoha had Yuuno-san to keep an eye on her," Zafira countered easily, "he could focus all his attention on her alone, and she had no competition other than Testarossa-san. Here, we have sixteen students to keep track of, and they compete with each other, however friendly that competition is at present. Especially Laura and Yussef."

Hayate shrugged, "You are right, Zafira, but I believe this will work out. It will take them months to construct the devices, at the very least, and by then they will be much more experienced, have much better knowledge of what they are doing and where their limits lay. It will be a good final project for them. Besides," she smiled back at her Knights, "I am curious to see what they will produce."

She walked on for a few more minutes in silence, then asked, "Signum, have you discovered anything further on our mystery hacker?"

If she surprised Signum, the older woman gave no sign of it, but her tone was significantly more formal when she answered, "No, Mistress, I have not been able to determine anything more. Though there has not been another unidentified intrusion, and the sensors built into the PDAs confirm that only students have mounted attacks on the network recently."

"Well, that's something at least," Hayate sighed, somewhat distressed to find that a non-event was 'good news'.

"I am sorry, Mistress," Signum added, "I should have told you about that…"

"Relax, Signum," Hayate smiled over her shoulder to remove any sting from the interruption. "I told you when we began setting the Academy up, you are in charge of security. If you do not have enough information to give me a complete picture of an incident, you are well within your rights to wait until you do. I just overheard Vita talking about it with Yuuno-kun, over the comm-link to Bureau Headquarters, and wondered if you had learned anything more since. I like your idea of setting a trap for the next person to try that, though I do hope you don't catch one of our students."

"Thank you, Mistress. I doubt the children will be caught by the traps I have placed." Signum actually grimaced slightly, "those that have any interest in computers are rather creative at it. Speaking of precocious, has Vita told you of her discovery this afternoon?" Hayate shook her head, and Signum continued, "It turns out that Mariachi has significantly greater control over his magic with an instrument in his hands. He says the music calls up his magic and directs it."

Hayate could only look at her Knight in surprise. That sort of interaction was, as far as she knew, only theoretical. Then the possibilities began to occur to her, ways of combining two arts into one, that were exciting beyond words. "Magic from the music? A bard, in the mythical sense? How lovely! I'll have to ask Yuuno to see if there are any records in the Infinity Library, maybe Suzuka could come up for a visit and see if she can affect another's magic…"

She continued on, letting her thoughts stumble forth, with Signum and Zafira occasionally offering their own thoughts. It was a wonderful moment, the sort of thing she had wanted to experience when she founded this school, wanted her students to have – that sense of exploration and discovery, that the world was full of wonders. It also made a nice change, from worrying about unknown attackers and strange occurrences, just exploration of a new approach to the magic that was the central facet of her life.

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Eni Li'Nave – Glad you're still enjoying this, and that you're still reviewing. The dark/light balance wasn't something I was consciously paying attention to, but I'll try to keep a little more of both in each chapter, though I'm afraid it is going to get somewhat darker before the end. Going back and re-reading, I'm surprised anyone read past Chapter One – that was actually rather more depressing than I remember trying to be. I'm afraid the current story-line is going to focus on just a couple of the students, and I included most of them for variety and to give myself an in-story way around any writer's-block. If I loose the main track, I can afford to spend a chapter or two focused on one of the 'secondary' students to try and get things moving again. The writing 'burden' doesn't bother me – if it did, I wouldn't be writing fan-fics!:) But I do tend to get caught up in just two or three characters, and I've already got the major students from this one picked out. Sorry! Nanoha and some of the others will show up, as more than just name-dropping, but not quite yet.

Sheo Darren – Welcome back & thanks for reading. I was trying to avoid any Hogwarts references, though… I've no interests in writing for that world! Glad you're liking the characters, even if not completely. I will say, in my own defense, that I knew 'Laura' in real life – changed her name and appearance and a few habits, but I knew someone just as hyperactive and just as smart. As for Takashi, well, he's supposed to be hard to pin down, so naturally people react differently to him. Wait until he starts interacting with the students directly, though.

Author's Note: For the curious, the quote Hayate references is one of my personal favorites, though I still have trouble remembering who said it: 'All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' – Edmund Burke.


	7. 07 Unwelcome Company

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 07 – Unwelcome Company -

Yussef settled back in his chair as Signum-sensei began reviewing her earlier lecture. He had been surprised to find that his many years of private education had not given him as much of a general advantage has he had expected, but in Math, at least, he was quite well ahead of any of the others. That resulted in his being called on to tutor math more often than he would have liked, but it also meant that this class was one of the best times during the day for him to let his mind wander, to contemplate whatever problem was the most vexing at the time.

At the moment, his most vexing issue was both new, and aggravatingly familiar. It was a repeat in the sense that he was absolutely certain that, as usual, Laura was 'Up To Something'. It was new, in that she appeared to have enlisted Noriko in whatever idiocy she was planning next, which was a very bad sign indeed. Noriko had consistently been the most effective foil to Laura's more exuberant escapades, though not the most frequent. That had been his job, trying to keep the hyper-active American from hurting herself or someone else. Not that it had been assigned or even condoned, but even before his parents had left, he had known she would be trouble, and ever since classes started, he made it a point to try and keep her reigned in.

Not that he had done anything mean. He had plenty of experience with cutting comments and over-the-top insults – he had two older brothers, after all – but he preferred more pleasant methods. Rudeness, for example – he was more than willing to interrupt one of her verbal flights of fancy, or stop one of her 'experiments' that always seemed to involve explosions, and so forth. It was complicated by the fact that Laura took great pains not to involve others directly in her exploits, but appeared to utterly disregard any danger to _herself_. That put him in a bit of a moral quandary as to whether he really should try to protect her from herself, but even as careful as she was she could still hurt _some_one, so he did the best he could without outright ordering her around, which had proven to be more of a goad than a hindrance to her.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that, try as he might, he was unable to establish any sort of authority over her in terms of skill or knowledge. He was better at math and science, she was better at history and languages, with a knack for picking up colloquial insults to match his mathematic ones. Worse, they currently stood neck and neck for second place in both magic courses. Noriko took first in the practical, while Niranjana took first in the theoretical, but he and Laura were tied for second in both classes, and had remained that way despite dogged efforts on his part.

Her ability to match him in the practical course was one thing. She was just as energetic and over-blown there as her behavior everywhere else, which went a surprisingly long way to counterbalance his greater discipline and precision, something which had always been true in any physical coursework. But in the theoretical course... the way she talked, the way she acted, everything about her said she should have been too scatterbrained to keep up, but she consistently matched him. Some of the answers she came up with were straight out of left field, and in his opinion she relied far too much on brute force over skill, but her answers usually worked at least as well as his own, and his error rate was just as distressingly high as hers. At least the teachers here preferred partnering more skilled students with less skilled. Most of his teachers in the past had preferred to put their top students into the same group, and he was not sure he would have been able to stand having to work that closely with Laura on a regular basis.

Usually, when he found himself confronted with a fellow student who was his scholastic equal, his royal birth gave him precedence, but the one time he had mentioned it in Laura's hearing, her response had been a rather blunt, "that's cool, but what've _you_ ever done?" It had been jarring, especially given how little thought he had ever given to his exalted social position before. To have the daughter of a mechanic and nurse dismiss his family's accomplishments so easily was... surprisingly vexing. He had never really thought he looked down on anyone because of his birth, had made conscious efforts not to after his early years in boarding schools in Europe, but coming to Japan had forced him to realize that, subconsciously, he really did think that alone made him one step better than others. He knew people who did consciously think that way, a particularly embarrassing cousin for instance, but had never thought himself subject to such foolishness. That realization had forced him to reconsider his own actions, at least initially.

The only thing he could point to that gave him anything resembling authority relative to her was his better self-discipline. But that was a thin thread, and he knew it. So he felt somewhat presumptuous trying to keep her out of trouble. But if he did not do something, she would get hurt, or get someone else hurt, even without meaning to, so he had to do something, but... the endlessly circular argument always frustrated him, and he mentally shook himself as he realized he was stuck in that rut once again.

The problem this time was that Laura had, for the first time, enlisted someone else's aide in whatever foolishness she was planning now. Noriko normally struck Yussef as being one of the more level-headed students, like himself. She certainly had the same level of control, though she could be a bit arrogant at times, and her obviously growing friendship with Laura, while inexplicable to him, had not prevented her from being an un-mentioned ally in his efforts to keep Laura from going too far. This time, though, it was obvious to him that she was involved in Laura's plans up to her neck. The two of them were suddenly spending far too much time in back corners together pouring over their PDAs and whispering intently. He doubted any of the others noticed, but he spent too much time watching over Laura to miss it.

Math passed without him being able to figure out how to deal with the new problem, as did the rest of the day. The practical class did not help, as Lotte-sensei started them on communications spells. In typical fashion, Laura used the basic spell to mutter in his ear just below audibility, until Lotte-sensei caught her at it. That unfortunately resulted in a quarter of the class period being spent with Laura demonstrating and refining the modified spell. Sure, it gave her another new project to keep her busy, but Yussef did not appreciate being the guinea pig, especially as it distracted him rather thoroughly from anything except figuring out where that bloody noise was coming from.

Once class let out he settled down in the library, looking for a way to block Laura's new spell, but most of his attention remained on countering her latest plot. Several of the others followed him, which was not surprising. Usually, after Lotte-sensei's class most of them went for showers, that being the most strenuous class, but today had not pushed any of them physically, and none of them could afford to waste time goofing off... except, apparently, for Laura, who seemed able to manage playing _and _studying, somehow.

He was staring blankly at a screen full of notes when inspiration struck. "Hey, Toushiro," he said, leaning back and sliding his chair backwards before reaching out to tap the other boy's shoulder. Toushiro was studying at the next table, but did not object to the interruption. The two of them got along fairly well, though Yussef always had the faint sense that Toushiro was somehow disappointed with him. _Probably not living up to his exotic expectations,_ Yussef thought to himself.

"Yeah, Yussef, what's up?"

"You know Noriko, right?"

Toushiro blinked, confused, "Noriko? Ah, well, yeah, but not that well. Met her the same time you did, remember? Why?"

"I wanted to talk to her, but every time I've seen her the last few days, the ditz has been hanging around."

Toushiro's confusion vanished, and a grin appeared in its place, "Oh-hooo, well, well, well. So you're interested in Noriko-chan as well?"

It was Yussef's turn to be confused, "'As well'?"

"Luke and Marcel say she's the most beautiful girl they've ever seen. That's some stiff competition you've got there, Yussef..."

Yussef sighed, realizing where Toushiro's thoughts were going, and simultaneously realizing that, now that the idea had occurred to the other boy, denying it would be useless. Still, his dignity required he at least try. "I'm not 'interested' in her," he explained, speaking slowly and certainly to be certain he was understood.

"Oh, so if you're not interested in her, it must be whoever she hangs out with the most, which would be... Cidela-chan or Laura, ne?"

Before he could catch himself, Yussef snarled back, "I'd sooner be interested in a scorpion than that ditz. I need to talk to Noriko without her around, and you know her better than anyone else here. At least you're from the same country."

Toushiro laughed, "Yeah, like Ichigo says, de Nile's not just a river in Egypt, is it?" Yuusef glared, so Toushiro chuckled again, shoving him once, "Calm down, Yussef, I'm just joking. But I'm about as likely to know Noriko as you are. You do know who she is, right?"

"Asegawa Noriko, age thirteen, fellow student. I know her family's rich, with attendant political power, but..."

Toushiro's snorts burst rapidly into full laughter before he could finish. It was no friendly chuckle, or exclamation, he was doubled over holding his stomach, almost falling out of his chair he was laughing so hard. It gathered the attention of everyone else in the library's main room, and lasted a good couple of minutes, despite Yussef's glares and attempts to get him to calm down. Every time Toushiro almost got control back, he'd look Yussef in the face, then burst out laughing again.

"Can't you boys take your jokes outside," Natalia demanded as she walked over, swatting Yussef on the head before shoving Toushiro fully out of his chair. She had claimed the library as her personal fiefdom early in the school year, and frequently chastised anyone making noise in it. Yussef wasn't surprised by her interruption, but he was used to seeing her do it to Laura, not himself. "_Nekulturny_, gaijin. This is a library! Be quiet and study, or go someplace else and leave the rest of us in peace!"

"It wasn't a joke," Yussef muttered, "I asked him for some help and he burst out laughing."

"Oh, Kami-sama," Toushiro muttered, finally getting control back now that he was under attack. "Yussef, you really need to open your eyes."

"Who is she, then?"

"She's Noriko," Toushiro replied, and snorted as he tried not to burst out laughing again. "Look, man, if you need to talk to her, just go knock on her door. You know which room is hers, right?"

Yussef felt himself blush, but shook it off, "It wouldn't be appropriate for one of us boys to be in the girls' wing. Besides, she's..."

Natalia cut off the rest of his statement, "You need to talk to Noriko? Idiot! Never ask a boy anything about a girl, Yussef. Even someone as backwards as you should know that."

He glared back at her, less than pleased with her, both because she hit him, and because he did not appreciate being insulted or having others butt into his discussions. "Sorry, I do not recall involving you in this conversation."

One jet black eyebrow rose, then she whipped a hand at him like a striking snake. He ducked to avoid it, but she caught his ear between thumb and forefinger and _twisted_, hard. "You were the ones making a scene," she hissed, and he would ever after swear her eyes actually generated their own light, the flash was so bright, "I know where Noriko is right now, _prezrennyj giena_, and had you bothered asking politely, I might have told you."

For a moment, Yussef was curious about what she had just called him. Almost instantly, he decided it was probably better if he never knew. He just tried to shift so his ear stopped hurting, and ground out, "Then where is she?"

"Why should I tell you, _giena_?"

"So I can keep her from getting caught in the ditz's next explosion," he admitted after a short internal debate. She blinked and stood up straight again, letting go of his ear. He rubbed it for a second, then returned to glaring at her. "Someone has to, and the rest of you seem to find her escapades amusing."

"That's because they are," Toushiro offered, unhelpfully. "She never gets anyone hurt, never really does much damage, she just has fun with the magic. You could learn something from that, Yussef, like how to relax. Whatever she's up to this time'll be just as funny as everything else, if you just look at it right."

Yussef glared right back at Toushiro's grin, "Maybe. But one of these days her uncontrolled pranks and experiments _are_ going to get someone hurt. I don't particularly care if it's her, but you do remember what the hallway looked like the first time she blew something up, yes? And you do remember who the only other student that can match your Buster spell is?"

Toushiro's grin faded at that. He still held the class record for the most powerful attack spell, though Lotte could still top him easily, but Laura was right behind him, and unlike him, she had managed to refine it to a single relatively precise beam, instead of a ragged bolt. "Yeah," he admitted after a second, "yeah, but I still think you're taking this too seriously."

"Noriko's upstairs, in the mechanics section," Natalia said, interrupting again, "said she had some personal research to do. It's probably on whatever she's working on with Laura."

"Do you know where the ditz is?"

Natalia glared at him again, but this time did not turn to physical abuse. She tended to do that, said she learned it from her grandmother as the most effective way of getting a boy to behave. "Her name's Laura, _giena_. You could at least try to be polite to her, since you're so determined to order her around. She's with Signum-sensei in a workroom, working on her Buster, of all things."

Yussef shoved himself out of his chair, "Thanks, Natalia, Toushiro. I owe you both one."

The mechanics section was simple enough to find. The second floor contained most of the scientific texts, divided by field and specific subject. Three major sections on biology, chemistry, and physics, further divided by sub-section. Physics was the largest, covering everything from astronomy through geology, and towards the back of that was a section on mechanics, everything from how a pulley and lever worked through books on magical engines supposedly capable of powering a city. Vita-sensei had even mentioned books in the restricted section detailing more powerful magical machines capable of altering the fabric of reality itself, but that was too close to his people's myths and legends for him to be comfortable thinking about them.

Sure enough, Noriko was at one of the tables in that section, two stacks of books and no fewer than three PDAs spread out around her. Yussef supposed he should have been surprised to notice that one of those was Laura's, casing dyed a brilliant purple and etched with a sword somehow, but he just noted that detail for discussion with Noriko.

"Oi, Noriko-san," he called softly, walking over to join her.

She switched all three PDA's active content so quickly he almost missed it. Then she looked up at him, reading glasses perched on her nose, blinking for a moment before visibly relaxing. "Things are fairly relaxed around here, Yussef. Just 'Noriko' is fine. What can I do for you?"

He pulled out the next chair and sat lightly in it. "I was wondering if you have a few minutes, I wanted to talk with you about something."

The relaxation vanished, but her voice showed nothing but friendly interest, "Certainly, Yussef. What is on your mind?"

"What are you and Laura up to?"

He had to give her credit for control. Not her face, not her voice, not her posture... nothing betrayed the slightest hint of surprise. It was there in her eyes, but no where else, and if he had not been paying very close attention, he would have missed it completely. Her reply was also expertly crafted... no denial, no lying, just a little bit of incomplete truth that left quite a bit of room for misinterpretation, "Aside from studying?"

_Mother would be telling me to take notes, if not lessons,_ he thought. "I doubt whatever you're studying is in the curriculum."

She waved a hand dismissively, "you know perfectly well that the curriculum here is highly flexible and individualistic. Laura and I have a personal project, that's all."  
Again with the partial truth, he smiled slightly. None of the other students ever tried verbal sparring. In his family it was practically a full-contact sport, but only Noriko here bothered, and that infrequently. Unfortunately, he had no idea if he had enough time to indulge in it. He had to find out before Laura or one of the teachers came along and the chance was blown. "Look, Noriko, I know you're up to something, I know it's Laura's idea, and I know that whatever it is, Hayate-sama wouldn't like it."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, then nodded, acknowledging his attempt to get to the point. "So why aren't you talking to _them_ about this?"

"Because at the moment, I have nothing more than suspicion that you're up to something. Look, I know she made it sound like a good idea, but you know how crazy she is. At best, she's going to get you in trouble."

"And you, out of the goodness of your heart, are looking out for poor defenseless me?" She giggled a little, settling back in her chair more comfortably. "You just want to put one over on Laura, don't you?"

"I don't care what happens to her..."

"Liar."

"... but I also do not want her dragging someone else down with her, and I don't want to get caught in the blast when she finally explodes."

Noriko just shook her head, "You know, you do such a good job of coming across as all caring and worried and noble, but you're really just worried about her getting a leg up on you, aren't you? You're worried that 'the ditz' will upstage you, and that just drives you bonkers, doesn't it?"

He closed his eyes and took a few seconds to calm himself down, vehemently denying to himself that her words had any truth. He was only doing this to protect his fellow students. "Noriko, please, I am asking you to help me help you. Whatever Laura is doing is dangerous..."

She cut him off by laughing at him, covering her mouth with one hand while she did so. "Kami-sama," she said after a second, "you think I don't know that?" His eyes widened slightly at her oblique admission to what was going on, but she rolled on before he could respond, "Yussef, what she and I are doing is ridiculously dangerous. That's what makes it so much fun, and you can't convince me not to help her, since she's helping me with my own personal project. Did you know that Yagami-sensei may not qualify as a living being anymore? I didn't, until Laura helped me with a little research. It depends on your definitions, of course, and I'm not saying she's some sort of monster, but her continued existence, especially as a mage, violates one of the most detailed definitions of 'life' I can find anywhere in the school's archives. So no, Yussef, I won't help you 'help' me. Laura has much more to offer me."

He shook his head sadly, "if you won't help, I'll just have to go to the teachers..."

He was halfway out of his chair when she touched his arm. "Wait," she said, "I said I wouldn't help you stop me. But I'm willing to help you keep pace with Laura. Will you sit a moment, and listen to me, for a change? Or will you be your usual macho self, and turn us in for something we haven't even done yet?"

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Laura dropped into her chair behind Noriko with a thud loud enough to draw a frown from both her co-conspirator and Cidela, as always sitting next to her in the front row. "Hey, Riko-chan, Cid-chan," Laura greeted the two, then continued, "Noriko, you going to be free after class this afternoon? I'm working on that extra-credit thing of ours, but I've hit a snag in one of the special elements I'm trying to include."

Noriko sighed and shook her head. "No, Laura, I'm afraid I've already promised to help Yussef with something similar this afternoon. I should be able to take a look tomorrow afternoon, but definitely not this afternoon, or even this evening."

Laura did not bother concealing her surprise, or her disgust. "Yussef? Why are you doing anything with that..." She trailed off as what Noriko said penetrated, and felt the blood draining from her face. When she continued, all efforts to the contrary, her voice was a whispered hiss, "_Something similar?!_ You told him?! You bloody twit, he's probably..."

"Standing right behind you." Laura reacted as she always did to someone surprising her from behind. She spun halfway out of her chair, left hand leading in a backhanded blow that very nearly connected with Yussef's face, save for his grabbing her wrist. "Careful, ditz, you might get in trouble for fighting."

Laura snarled back at him, "Careful, rich-boy, sneaking up on me's a bad idea. I have a habit of returning the favor with interest."

"Tche, you couldn't sneak up on someone without a herd of elephants for distraction," Yussef answered, settling into the desk next to her, behind Cidela, who was trying very hard to both disappear and watch all of them, like she always did when anyone argued around her.

"Sorry, Laura," Noriko whispered, "it was either Yussef or Hayate-sama."

"I'd prefer Hayate-sensei," Laura muttered, "at least she's a human being, not a pig in human-seeming."

That at least wiped the superior smirk off Yussef's face, but Laura had no time to follow up, as the woman in question entered the class room behind Marcel, the unofficial signal that class had begun. "Take your seats, everyone," Hayate told them. "This afternoon we will expand on yesterday's lesson on the structure of shields, specifically, how and why they are similar to attack spells. Open your texts to chapter twelve, please."

Laura did her best to ignore the annoying one to her left, dropping her PDA on the table and stabbing the buttons to bring up the requisite chapter. She started skimming the chapter again, having read it the night before, but something brushed at her senses, distracting her. She looked up, scanning the room, but found nothing to explain it other than Cidela and Noah also looking about a little confused. The shiver came again, a chill of power that was almost familiar. The feeling steadied down as she reached for it, only to be distracted by her teacher. "Laura? Please stop trying to probe the hallway and pay attention."

"Someone's out there, sensei," Laura replied, "coming this way, but I don't recognize them." She shivered, the cold feeling of the power becoming physical as whoever it was came closer, "I think they're trying to hide."

Hayate gave her a quizzical look, then turned her own attention to the hall, muttering to herself. A glow appeared around her eyes, and a moment later she sighed heavily. "Don't worry, Laura. I invited him, though he is rather late."

While her classmates talked to one another about whoever it was, Laura continued her probe. They had really only covered sensory techniques in Hayate's class, not the practical course, but Laura had learned enough from both classes by now to put theory into practice, and thought she was doing quite well. Whoever it was, he had strong shields, but his very attempt to mask his approach was making it easier for her to find him. She thought she had almost slipped through his shields to get a picture of his face, when something slammed her probe back with enough force to stun her, almost knocking her out of her seat through purely mental force.

She was too busy after that getting her mental balance back and getting the world to stop spinning to notice everyone else in the class looking at her, but she was mostly collected again when the door opened and the man she had been tracking stepped in. He stopped there, framed by the door, cold dark eyes scanning the class until they settled on her. She could feel him judging her, and glared right back, despite a growing headache. _So he's stronger than me, so what? He's still an interloper, and a suspicious one at that, sneaking through the halls like he had._

"What are you doing here, Takashi?"

Hayate's question did not change the direction of his gaze, even when he answered, "You invited me to stop by. Something about educating these children as to the dangers of their chosen path."

"That was last week, Takashi."

He finally stopped staring at Laura, turning to Hayate with a small grin. Laura could tell from that he was similar to Signum-sensei in that respect, using slight changes of expression in place of more common, and more readable, responses. "What is time to the dead, musume?"

"You are not dead," Hayate's tone was surprisingly short. "At least, you better not be. I put too much time and effort into keeping you alive to permit that."

"There are worse things than death," He countered.

"And between us, we have seen most of them," Hayate agreed, "which is why I wanted you to come here, to help my students understand how dangerous it is, and how to protect themselves. Though, back-lashing a beginner's probe was _not_ what I had in mind. This is a theoretical course, not practical."

Takashi shrugged, "I hadn't meant to back-lash the girl, but she got through my outer shields. You know I don't really control some of my shields any more, they're just there."

Laura blinked at that. _Automatic shields? Lord, no wonder that hurt, if he's skilled enough to build something like that._

"Still," Takashi continued, "that should be a good starting example. You need to shield your probes better, girl. You encountered an old independent shield intended to rebound attacks upon the attacker. Since your probe was non-harmful, it did little more than surprise you..."

"Surprise my foot," Laura muttered back, rubbing one temple while she glared, "that _hurt_."

He grinned again, ever so slightly, "... while a full on attack would have been rebounded fatally. Had you shielded your probe, separated it from yourself, you would have experienced nothing more than disappointment. Tactics, children, tactics. Always protect yourself from your own magic, as well as your enemy's, for your enemy may know how to convert _your_ magic into _his_."

"A valid point," Hayate agreed, "but I'm curious, Takashi. How did Laura detect you? I did not, and I'm demonstrably more sensitive to ambient magic than any of my students."

Takashi looked at her for a moment, then returned to studying Laura. "I am uncertain how she detected me, musume. It should not have been possible. Tell us, girl, how did you detect my approach?"

Laura just looked at him for a moment, then shook her head slightly. Whoever he was, however strong, he was not one of her teachers, and she resented his actions and attitude. His approach was suspicious, his appearance and presence disturbing, and she did not care to try to explain something she did not understand herself. "You were sloppy," she muttered after a moment.

One dark eyebrow rose, that amused almost-smile appearing again. "Why do I think you are lying to me?"

"Please answer him, Laura," Hayate told her. "I am curious myself, as it should not have been possible for you to detect him."

Laura sighed, shaking her head slightly, "I just felt a... shiver, in my magic. I can't describe it any better than that. After that, I started looking for why, and found a shield."

"So you just started poking at an unknown shield?"

She could hear the condescension in Takashi's voice, the amused superiority, and bristled back at him. "Of course I did! An unknown mage in our school, hiding their presence? You're obviously dangerous, obviously up to something criminal. Of course I tried to find out what was under that shield! So I'm new at this and you surprised me, with what, a century more experience?"

"Laura!" Hayate was quite obviously shocked, but Takashi just laughed, a soft low chuckle.

"You've got spine, girl," he commented, stalking towards her, around Cidela's desk. Laura had thought about mentioning that Cid-chan had also detected his approach, but seeing her shrink back from him convinced her not to. He started to reach a hand towards her, and she hissed, in anger or surprise she was not certain, reaching in a panic for the power to form a shield, creating a wall of haze between the two of them, that wavered slightly a moment later as another shield tried to appear in the same space, before solidifying in front of hers.

"Takashi," Hayate said, causing him to pause as Laura's shield had not, "what are you doing?"

"She detected my approach, and from the description is reacting to my mere power. I'm not so skilled with personal probes, so I was going to use a physical contact to simplify the scan. Nothing harmful, just to determine how she is detecting me."

"_Ask _before you do something to one of my students, Takashi," Hayate ordered in a tone so flat and hard Laura could feel the whole class staring at her in surprise. She had never taken that tone around any of them before.

The silence reigned for a moment, as the two mages engaged in a staring match. Then Takashi bowed to Hayate slightly, and Laura relaxed, until he asked, "May I have your permission to scan your student, Headmistress?"

"No," Hayate replied in the same tone, "you may not." She walked across the room, stopping at the head of the row until he moved out of her way, then she crouched down next to Laura, resting a hand on her arm. When she spoke, her voice was far more normal. "Laura? May I conduct a scan of you? However you detected him, we need to know if it is an untrained ability, or a vulnerability. May I?"

Laura kept glaring at Takashi for a moment, debating. Part of her really did not want to know, or at least, did not want to find out with him on hand. Something about him was just plain scary, and not in the 'interesting-maybe-fun' way that Signum-sensei was scary, and she did _not_ like the idea of him evincing any interest in her. On the other hand, if it was a vulnerability, she needed to know, so she could cover it and keep him from taking advantage of it. So she compromised, "Maybe later, Headmistress?"

Hayate squeezed her arm slightly, "Of course, Laura. After Lotte's class, please come to my office. Shamal and I will conduct the scan and see what we can find out."

Laura caught her hand as she started to rise, and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Scan Cidela and Noah as well, please, Headmistress. I think they felt his approach as well."

Hayate paused, then nodded, acknowledging the request without words before rising to face Takashi again. "Since you're here, Takashi, we can proceed with the lesson I had planned for last week. This will be somewhat more of a 'practical' lesson than is normal, class, with Takashi as a demonstrator. As all of you have adapted well to what we are teaching you, and we have covered magic's' benefits quite well, I wanted you all to have a good idea of how high the personal price for this power can be. Takashi is the best living example of that I can think of. If you will all please move your desks to the walls..."

Laura joined the others in moving their desks, finding herself now parked between Noriko and Yussef. The first was fine, but the second was aggravating. Compared to the man standing in front of their class, however, Yussef was a minor irritant. She considered taking out some of her nerves on him anyhow, but when she glanced at him, none of his attention was on her. All of it was on Takashi, and she had been the recipient of that flat suspicious look often enough to know the 'rich-boy' was contemplating something violent. Curiosity overcame pique, and she whispered, "What are you so pissed for, rich-boy? He didn't do anything to _you_."

Yussef did not even look at her, just whispered back, "That man's dangerous, a barbarian of the worst sort, one who pretends to be civilized. No one should treat a girl like that."

"You do."

"I never attack you, ditz. I insult you, I yell at you, but I never attack you, I never threaten you. No one can do that and have any claim to be a man."

Laura blinked, surprised. She had assumed Yussef was a backwards hick herself, rich-boy or not, but that sort of response was remarkably like her brother's would have been. A little more romantic, in the literary sense, and sans swear words, and definitely sexist and arrogant, but... not what she had expected out of her annoyingly overbearing classmate. She was, in that moment, almost willing to consider him human enough to put up with.

Then he ruined the moment, "You need to work on your shield, it was up quick enough, but it was also unstable. If I hadn't put mine up over it, he'd've gotten through yours in a heartbeat."

Laura hissed in a breath, but the class was settling into place now, and there was no way she could keep to a whisper, as angry as she was by now. _Don't hit him, don't hit him, don't hit him,_ she kept telling herself, trying to get her temper under control. So her foot hit his chair, not him, hard enough to shove him into Mariachi's desk, then she turned away and studiously ignored him, mentally muttering imprecations at him until Hayate-sensei's lessons distracted her too much.

------------------------------

"Swallow Flier!"

Vita crashed through the ceiling immediately behind her strike, the weakened concrete exploding away from Graf Eisen in a cloud of debris. She hit the floor in a crouch, partial barriers already forming, glaring about at the empty chamber as she searched for enemies.

Unfortunately, 'empty' was exactly what the building was. An abandoned concrete structure, a former sawmill from the detritus within and without, it was located on the western seaboard of North America, on the edge of a small city she had not remembered the name of. The fact that it had been shielded when she and Zafira arrived had been a hopeful sign, and the cause of her violent entrance, but now there was nothing.

_Zafira, they're already gone,_ she told him telepathically, straightening out of her crouch, but firming up her barriers, "Barrier Field – Triplicate." The red light created weird contrasting shadows with those from the setting sun, turning the place into an alien landscape as she started walking about, searing for traces.

_I sense no trace of them outside,_ he replied in kind. _They must have teleported immediately after their probe was detected._

_You think they're using contingent teleports? Once their probe is detected, they are teleported automatically?_ Zafira did not reply, but she could sense his agreement with her conclusion

She found what she was looking for fairly quickly. Whoever they were, they had made no attempt to hide it, clearing a five meter circle in the debris in the center of the hollowed-out building. The cleared space was then filled with a four-meter ring of symbols, patterns similar enough to those she used to be understandable. The spell circle was built to anchor and boost a sensory spell, which was no surprise, though it was rather more focused than the spell-circles she was used to seeing, and created not with power, but with permanent physical components. It had literally been carved into the cement pavement and painted over.

_Found their work-site,_ she told Zafira, pulling out a camera to start recording it. _Got a permanent circle here, too. Maybe Ferret-boy can make something from it._

_You should not call him that,_ Zafira chided her, _Mistress does not like it._

_Tche, then he shouldn't've snuck into the baths, or a girl's room, like he did._

_We were not even awake when that occurred, you know of it only thanks to Bannings-san's need to gossip. You have no place to take offense for those actions._

Vita could not resist grinning at that. Zafira was normally perfectly comfortable with all of them, but every once in a while would say something to remind them all that he was, after all, a guy. He positively hated what he called 'gossip', and Alisa-chan's habit of telling stories out of turn appeared to particularly annoy him, though that could have been because of her insistence on treating him as an especially lovable puppy. _But I still know of it,_ she countered, then turned back to the subject at hand. _Anything outside?_

_Nothing relevant. A police vehicle appears to be closing on this location, however. I believe we should depart for home._

_Hai, in a moment,_ she agreed, getting one last photograph. That done, she lifted Graf Eisen again, raising it above her head before calling out, "Iron Howl!" The swirling chaos of red energy, wind and debris roared about her, a massive tornado confined within the building that nonetheless blew out the windows and doors. On its way, it scoured away the circle, and blasted away the last remnants of the shields the intruders had left behind.

Before the Howl died down, she was flying out the hole in the ceiling she had entered by, finding Zafira already waiting. Sure enough, the police vehicle, lights flashing, was pulling into the turn-off from the nearest road, and she could see someone leaning out the passenger window, looking at them in apparent shock. "Let's go," she told Zafira. He nodded, and began forming the teleport.

While he did that, Vita studied the abandoned building one last time. _We're getting closer,_ she thought to herself, _but not quickly enough. __Why__ can't we trace these bastards? They're just Terran degenerates, not real mages. How can they hide from us so well?_

------------------------------

AN: apologies for the bad Russian above (especially if I used any of it wrong), but it helps me get into & convey Natalia's character... and I like confusing people. Rough translations are as follows:

_nekulturny_ – uncultured, mannerless, barbaric

_prezrennyj_ – despicable, contemptible

_giena_ – hyena

------------------------------

Eni Li'Nave – Welcome back! Nanoha should be showing up in the next chapter – she was supposed to be in this one, but the part on Takashi ran longer than I originally expected, so I'm afraid that part got bumped. As for what she's doing, you'll have to wait & see:). I wasn't aware of the different types of devices until you pointed it out, as I've only watched the two anime series. I had thought they were all just 'intelligent devices', and after finding what you referenced on Wikipedia (best website on the web, by the by), think I'll stick with IDs. I haven't determined personalities yet, other than the users' styles. The Aussie was entertaining, for me because he was so utterly disinterested in anything other than getting rid of 'the foreigners', and there'll be a few more such encounters as the story builds. The 'Suzuka' mentioned at the end of last chapter was their old friend. I didn't use a name merely because very few people refer to long-term friends by full or last names. I'm not sure if Suzuka or Alisa have any magical abilities, or even if they'll actual show up as more than references, but both of them had some musical abilities as I recall, which neither Hayate nor her Knights have, hence Hayate's considering her involvement with Mariachi.

Jellyfish Marine – Glad you're enjoying this, and yes, there is supposed to be a humorous component to the relationship between Hayate and Takashi – along with a serious one, a dangerous one, and possibly outright violence in the future. But I'm afraid you've guessed wrong about Amy & Chrono – all through both series, those two always struck me as a brother/sister combo, which is what the prologue was supposed to show. They just work well together. Besides, popular as it is on FFN, I'm not one for romance, so it'll play a vanishingly small part in this story.


	8. 08 Progression

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 08 – Progression -

"You two! Get in here and help me with these crates!"

Noriko froze at the half-shouted command, feeling Laura just behind her tense to run. A blink of an eye later, she relaxed and nodded, "Of course, Lotte-sensei. What would you like us to do?"

Lotte was standing in the middle of her class' usual workroom, glaring at three columns of plastic storage crates, packed four high. "I need to get these things spread out for class, but they're too big for me to balance properly. Aria and Zafira helped me bring them down here, but I've been expressly forbidden from magicing them about, lest they pick up some sort of contamination."

That intrigued Noriko no end, and she glanced back at Laura, giving a 'later' gesture, hoping she would understand. Laura nodded, so Noriko turned back to their teacher. "I thought class was going to be delayed an hour? Laura and I came down here to experiment with some shields, but we'll be happy to help."

Lotte nodded, waving them to either side of one column. "It is delayed, we have a guest instructor, who's running late."

Laura perked up at that, "Her, not him? 'Cause if it's that guy who crashed Hayate-sensei's class yesterday, I'm leaving."

Lotte looked at her curiously for a moment, then shook her head. "No, not a... oh, Takashi finally showed up, I forgot." Shaking her head, Lotte carried on, "No, our guest instructor is a bit of a surprise, since your studies have touched on her, briefly. I think you'll like her. Everyone does, eventually."

The explanation set Noriko's mind running, she could never resist trying to figure out puzzles like that. Hayate-sensei had told them there would be occasional guest instructors, but this was the first time one of them had actually appeared. The comment that they had 'already studied her', however, was very intriguing. Their classes, both traditional and magical, had mentioned several mages by name, often by epithet as well, though 'Breaker of Ships' was one of the more colorful ones, even if it had just been added to the list the afternoon before. Noriko turned the possibilities over, and was left with one question, _Which of them are both female, and still alive?_

She puzzled it over, as she and Laura spread the crates about, in pairs roughly where Lotte-sensei usually put the four-person groups she favored. As Lotte-sensei had told them, the crates were light, just a bit too big to be easily handled by one person. While they were specifically forbidden from opening the first eight crates, the last column of four were empty, and Lotte-sensei had them march the crates a good twenty meters out into the room, well past where she normally placed any targets.

Laura appeared caught up in the same internal debate, though given her almost aggressive focus on the present, she was just as likely trying to figure out what was in the crates, and what their guest instructor was going to have them doing. Either way, the two girls worked in silence getting everything set up, and once that was done, Lotte-sensei was more than willing to work with them on firming up both their shield strength, and the speed with which they could raise them. It was not what they had planned to work on, when Hayate-sensei informed them of the delay in their next class, but they could not very well debate device-designs with a teacher. Not yet at least.

As her classmates began trickling in, Noriko resigned herself to finding out who their guest instructor was at the same time as everyone else. Fortunately, she was not disappointed. Lotte-sensei had everyone gather to one side, sitting on the nearest crate to keep Laura and Mariachi from sneaking a peak, explaining that their instructor, whom she laughingly refused to name despite repeated attempts to wheedle it out of her, was only going to be available for this one day, and had been delayed teleporting in from 'elsewhere' by her regular job.

Further explanation was interrupted by the arrival of said instructor, and Noriko's first impression was... less than encouraging. She came in calmly enough, announcing her presence with, "Ohayo, Lotte-san, I'm sorry I'm late." She was taller than any of Noriko's fellow students, but not especially so, and while the two tails her hair was pulled back into did almost reach the floor, they were an unassuming shade of brown. Her uniform of blue and white reminded Noirko of a traffic policewoman, rather than the 'great mage' she had been expecting, and the friendly smile was more fitting to a friendly aunt.

Lotte-sensei just smiled back, "That's fine, Nanoha-chan, we all know how pressed for time you are these days." She pulled the other woman into a brief hug, then turned and introduced the class with a sweeping gesture, "Everyone, this is Takamichi Nanoha, Captain, Time Space Administration Bureau, Training Command and Emergency Response Mage. She'll be our guest teacher today. Be nice, she's got more experience than Hayate-san, and unlike the rest of us, she specializes in combat. Make me mad, I'll give you a little nick. Make her mad, she'll shoot you into orbit."

"Lotte-san!" Nanoha gave the familiar a horrified look, "I'm not that bad!"

"When was the last time you blew out a workroom?"

"Two months ago," Nanoha answered immediately, "and that was Fate's fault! Her new defenses with Zanber surprised me."

While most of the class just laughed quietly at her aggrieved tone, Noriko felt herself paling. She knew how strong the shields on each workroom were, how they were massively reinforced and mutually supporting. If Takamichi-sensei could generate the power to do that... and laugh it off as she was now... All the warnings the teachers had been giving them, about how powerful and dangerous magic could be were suddenly much clearer, much more believable, and much scarier. _Maybe coming here wasn't such a wonderful idea,_ she thought, contemplating what one slip, one angry fit, could do. She was too confident in herself to doubt for long, however, and a moment later she gave herself a mental shake and dismissed the thought. That was _why _she was here, to learn how not to loose control like that.

By the time she had that straightened out, Takamichi-sensei was starting her lecture. "I know Hayate-chan doesn't want you learning anything deliberately violent yet, other than the basics of how to defend yourself, so I'm not going to go over tactics, much." She grinned at Lotte-sensei, "besides, most of my tactics rely on a device, and none of you have any yet." Noriko was sorely tempted to argue that fact, but managed to restrain the impulse herself, and to grab Laura's wrist, shooting her a look to remind her to keep silent. Given the other girl's half-open mouth, it was probably a good thing she did. "What I am going to show you is, however, one of the most effective training exercises I know. It's simple, which is what makes it so effective, but it requires a high degree of precision and control, not just in generating the spell, but in controlling it."

She paused, leaning down to flip open a crate, and Noriko could not help twitching in surprise as she pulled out an empty soda can, flipping the tin construct into the air with a negligent toss and an amused grin. "I know, I know, what possible use could trash be? Don't worry, these aren't what you're going to be casting spells on. They're targets."

She said it in such a bright, chirpy tone that for a moment Noriko was uncertain what she had heard. "Ano, Takamichi-sensei, targets?"

"Hai, targets. The exercise is to throw a can in the air," she held up the can in one hand, a little to the side, "and before it strikes the ground, hit it as many times as you can with this," her other hand came up, and a small sphere of pink energy formed. "If you can, you want to land the can in the bins down-range," she gestured with the empty can to the last set of crates Noriko and Laura had placed. "I'll give you two demonstrations, one fast, one a bit slower."

The can was airborne before she finished speaking, and then the pink sphere stretched into a blurred streak, moving rapidly to _ting _off the underside of the still-rising can, accelerating its climb. A moment later, it was struck again, this time in the side, metal dimpling under the impact that redirected its course down the workroom. It took Takamichi-sensei less than twenty seconds to bounce and ricochet the can down the room, striking it at least once a second, during the course of which Noriko had to completely revise her opinion of the woman. The can never dropped below three meters height, until, just as it passed over an empty crate, the pink sphere slammed down from directly above, lancing through the can and sending it crashing down. It bounced once in the crate, then settled with a metallic rattle. Throughout the display, Takamichi-sensei merely watched them with what Noriko was quickly coming to believe was a permanent smile. Not superior or malicious, just comfortably happy.

"That was the fast demonstration," Takamichi-sensei told them. "The next will be the slow one. Pay attention to how I form the sphere, it's not just a release of energy. You have to hold it, even after it leaves your hand." She had them gather in a loose circle around her, and demonstrated how to create the stable sphere.

It was harder than Noriko had expected, not generating it, or holding it steady, but separating it from herself without dissipating it. Toushiro and Laura managed it first, which visibly aggravated Yussef, but Noriko could not get the hang of it until she modified it slightly. Takamichi-sensei was teaching them how to create what was, for all its low power, a pure attack spell. But by stacking several of the small discs she had built while first studying shields, she finally managed a good enough approximation of what they were trying for. Close enough, at least, to meet Takamichi-sensei's standard of being able to toss it back and forth between her hands, even if it did have a tendency to fall apart into its constituent plates.

It was ten minutes before the last of them managed to form the sphere and stabilize it for controlled motion, but none of those who managed the feat dared attempt the exercise on their own. Takamichi-sensei was nice enough, but Lotte-sensei was stalking around the outside of the circle, usually helping, but always watching, and after Toushiro's example, none of them wanted to attract her interest. Finally, however, Takamichi-sensei stepped away again, and snagged another can out of a different crate.

"This time," she said, turning to face them, "pay attention to how I'm controlling the sphere, not just what it's hitting." She tossed the can up over one shoulder, then generated and launched the sphere a moment later. Still without looking down the range, she started pacing back and forth in front of them. "Here's the reason this technique is effective. You work on control, in keeping the sphere from dissipating. You work on accuracy, in getting it to hit the target, on speed in getting it to hit the target repeatedly in a short space of time, on prediction in trying to keep the target in the air. Eventually, you work on multi-tasking, by trying to control more and more spheres at once."

Lotte-sensei tapped Noriko on the elbow, whispering, "Get a pair of cans from the end crate. When I tell you, throw both of them up and down-range, but don't do anything else."

"She'll get them, won't she?"

Lotte-sensei grinned, just enough to show her fangs. "Maybe. Nanoha-chan's famous for this, I want to see if the rumors Chrono-kun's been sharing are true."

Noriko nodded her understanding and faded back out of the group, still watching and listening to their guest, but also noting something new about her teacher. _Lotte-sensei dislikes being shown up, even if it is by a guest and a friend. I'll have to remind Laura never to show off in this class. _ A moment later, two cans were ready, and at the far end of the line, Noriko saw Yussef standing with two more, and Allina in the middle with yet a third pair.

Takamichi-sensei never let up her lecture, even as she directed her target towards the crate at the end. "This is the most basic secret to any crisis situation, combat or not. By definition, in a crisis lots of things will change rapidly, and you will need to be able to keep track of all of it at once. You'll have to predict in moments the results of your actions, the results of others' actions, and the interaction of what everyone is doing. With this exercise, once you get good control with a single shot, try for a second." Suiting actions to words, she launched a second sphere after the first, and soon the can was caught between a whirl of pink flashes. "From this, you'll develop the control and mentality necessary to handle multiple overlapping spells, multiple threats, anything a crisis can throw at you. You'll still have to figure out what to do, but you'll have the time to think it over, instead of simply reacting."

Lotte-sensei asked, "Nanoha-chan, how many targets can you handle at once, these days?"

Giving a smile rather more proud than the previous ones, Nanoha announced, "Ten, for about a minute, eleven on a good day."

"Let's settle for trying nine," Lotte said, hands coming from behind her with two cans, sending them airborne. Noriko was a moment behind her, surprised that there was no more warning.

Takamichi-sensei gave a most undignified squawk, then shouted, "Lotte-san, that's no fair!" Protestations aside, she answered the challenge with style. Noriko could only be impressed as energy spheres flickered into being in a cloud about her, then launched as one against all nine airborne cans. Takamichi-sensei generated them with no gestures, merely willing them to appear, and sent them after their targets.

Yussef would later complain that this display was less impressive. Takamichi-sensei was obviously straining to keep up, no longer lecturing or even looking at the students, all her attention on the targets. She also missed the empty crates with two of the cans. But most of the others agreed with Noriko that it was far more impressive than the initial demonstration, though Laura may have done so only to oppose Yussef. To Noriko, the fact that a quarter of the cans landed near the crates, instead of in them, was an impressively small error rate, given the exercise's complexity. Even those cans that missed were still battered, broken, and twenty meters from where they had started, and Takamichi-sensei had, as nearly as Noriko could tell, simultaneously controlled fifteen spheres in coordinated individual attacks. So what if she had no concentration for anything else, it was still a virtuoso performance, and a daunting standard.

Finally, as the last can clattered into a crate, Takamichi-sensei turned back to Lotte with a glare. "That was not nice Lotte-san, I was trying to show them without scaring them."

Lotte-sensei merely grinned, and Noriko shook her head. While she could not match Laura's energy, Lotte was still an utter terror when her sense of humor engaged. "But Nanoha-chan, they need to know what they'll be expected to do on tomorrow's test, ne?"

"Oh, ha ha, Lotte-sensei," Laura countered, "we'll be lucky to even hit the cans, let alone do it repeatedly, and you know it. Did you use your device for that, Takamichi-sensei?"

"No," Takamichi-sensei told them, finally looking away from Lotte-sensei with a weak smile. "But I've been using this exercise for a decade now. I came up with it originally to strengthen my control _without _a device, since at the time I thought I was too dependent on one."

"Nanoha-chan's a ranged combat specialist," Lotte-sensei told them. "She can handle herself in melee, but her real forte is distance combat, which is really what this exercise is about. Now, break into your usual groups, please, and stand at your crates. Let's have Mariachai, Natalia, Megan and my dear Shiro-kun first. Nanoha-chan, if you please?"

Noriko joined the rest of her usual group behind Natalia, Noah and Cidela looking quite relieved not to have been chosen to go first. Noriko was, on balance, unconcerned. Going first would have been quite a compliment, but this way she had a chance to see how the others fared. This was the most complicated exercise they had yet attempted, mostly because they were trying to actually _do something_ with their spells, other than create and hold them.

"That was insane," Noah muttered, crouching next to where Noriko and Cidela sat while waiting their turns. "Nine targets at once? How can she do that?"

"She is Takamichi Nanoha," Cidela whispered back, "Ace of Aces, Hayate-sensei called her, when we were talking about modern day mages a few weeks ago. Do not hold yourself to her standard, Noah-kun, she is almost as strong as Hayate-sensei."

"I'm not comparing myself to her," he countered, "I'm just wondering how she can do that?"

"Practice," Noriko commented. "You heard her, she's been training with this technique for a decade, Noah-kun. How long have you been playing football? I know you can do things on the pitch I could not contemplate. This is the same." She shook her head slowly, "we can only hope to be that good after so long. And, remember, she's an experienced warrior, like Signum-sensei or Vita-sensei, a veteran."

"Yeah, that's even scarier," he whispered back, summoning up a sphere and cupping it in one palm. "If these things can do that to a can, imagine what they could do to a vehicle, a building... a person?"

"You could probably stand on two or three," Cidela commented, studying the sphere in Noah's hand. He glanced at her questioningly, and she continued, "Say you're at sea and your ship sinks. If you can create three of these, you can arrange them in a triangle under your foot, and stand on them. Hmm, okay, six of them, three per foot. If you're falling, you could use one as a something to grab, or to carry a line to someone else who's falling."

He smirked a little, "Or you could just fly. We've all seen the senseis fly."

"Do you know how to fly, Noah-kun?"

His mouth twisted a little, but he admitted, "No, Noriko, I don't know how to fly."

"None of us do," she agreed easily, "so how would you save yourself if, say, you fell off one of the ridges while hiking? One of these spheres could easily form a hand-hold. Yes, this is a combat technique, but think of the other uses it could be put to. What if there's a fire, and the fire-suppression systems fail? You could use a few of these to break open the building's water-pipes. Don't just think about the damage we can do, Noah. Otherwise, that's all you'll ever think of. My father told me that when I started here, and I think this shows what he was talking about."

Noah nodded slowly, now obviously thinking it over instead of merely reacting, and Noriko left him to it. A few moments alter, Takamichi-sensei called the first switch, and Cidela went up for her turn. Natalia settled next to them with just a nod, breathing faster and slightly flushed from what they had all learned early on was both physical and mental work. Noriko watched Cidela at first, ready to offer advice if necessary, but her quiet friend proved adept enough at forming the sphere and getting it moving, so she sat back to watch again, waiting for her turn.

"Spheres won't work real well," Noah muttered after a moment, still staring at the one in his hand.

Noriko glanced at him a moment, waiting for him to continue. When he remained silent, she asked, "Excuse me?"

"Spheres won't work very well as a hand-hold, or foot rest. They're round, so you'll slip right off." He fell silent again, but this time she could sense him concentrating his energy. As she watched, the sphere in his hands bulged out to two sides, then slowly lengthened into a four inch rod, just a little wider than his palm. "That'll work better," he said, voice strained slightly as he moved his hand lower, leaving the blue-glowing bar suspended. "Do me a favor, Noriko, and try to move it?"

Noriko nodded, and wordlessly reached out to press down on the bar. It moved, but to her surprise, resisted strongly. It was not until his hand hit the floor that she realized he was still holding the rod up with his hand, just at a greater distance.

"That's impressive, Noah-kun, but save your strength." The two of them flinched apart, and Noah's experiment vanished, at Lotte-sensei's interruption. She was crouched behind them, leaning forward just enough to put her head between theirs. She gave their surprised faces an amused grin, then explained, "Don't exhaust yourself now, before you've tried Nanoha-chan's exercise. Or I really will test you on it tomorrow. You're up, Noriko-chan. Try to hold it together."

Noriko traded places with Cidela, as Laura and Yussef stepped up to either side of her. She picked up a can, hefting it a moment. Then she carefully formed her attack. It was more of a short cylinder, not a sphere, as she had not yet been able to create multiple sizes of disc, but it would move the right way, approximately, so she was content with it for now. She tossed the can, a half-way compromise between height and distance, then sent the striker after it.

Moving the striker was easy enough, though the individual plates forming it had a distressing tendency to try and separate. She had still not managed to make a credible single-piece shield, like Laura used, but her 'shield of scales' approach seemed to work, and she was getting the hang of moving the discs, even if only as a group, but as the striker _was _a group, she could move it rather well. Hitting the can was also fairly simple, as it was hardly moving quickly.

The hard part proved to be getting the stupid useless mindless hunk of tin to go where she wanted it to. She could hit it, and hard, but her first attempts only sent it sailing in embarrassingly random directions. She was just getting the hang of moving it generally down-range when it fell apart instead of deflecting. Even once she got the hang of predicting where it would deflect to, she could not quite get the striker to hit it right, it just was not that precise. Yet she had seen Natalia managing that precision, and Laura was doing a fair job of slamming the can down range with just as little practice.

Grumbling, Noriko snatched another can out of a crate and drew back for an underhanded throw. A hand on her wrist stopped her, and she blinked to find Takamichi-sensei standing there, a gentle smile on her face. "I noticed your attack isn't a single charge," she said, "Would you be willing to try an experiment?" Noriko could only nod, too surprised that she had failed to notice the teacher's approach.

Takamichi-sensei let go of her, claiming the can to gesture with. "I've noticed that you're working very hard to keep those discs as a single unit, but that's affecting your accuracy. What if you tried relaxing the cluster a little?"

"They're razor-sharp," Noriko told her, "Shamal-sensei said something about a sub-molecular edge? They'll cut through it instead of propelling it."

Takamichi-sensei just smiled a little more, "But what if you don't hit with the edge? Try relaxing the cluster, and hitting it...," she demonstrated, striking one hand with the other in a sliding gesture, "... side-on. I'd like to see if it improves your accuracy."

Noriko wanted to argue more, but she knew the sound of an order when she heard it, so she simply nodded again. Takamichi-sensei tossed the can, and Noriko sent her striker after it. Relaxing the tight control necessary to keep the discs together made it so much easier to direct the cluster, she could feel the muscles in her shoulders and temples relaxing just from that. The striker of course dissolved into a cloud, swooping in pursuit of the can in a glittering array, like a school of fish in bright water. Then the can exploded, showering slivers of aluminum over the floor as twelve discs thinner than molecules sliced through it.

Noriko sighed, shoulders slumping a little, but Takamichi-sensei only gripped her shoulder, holding up another can. "This time, try swerving the discs at the last second. You'll have to send them in at an odd angle, aiming past the can, then changing their course at the last second. A deflection shot. It's more difficult, but I think you can manage it, if you aren't so worried about perfect control of the individual parts of the cluster. Remember, a neatly arrayed attack is good, but you only really need it to get the job done. Everything else is just for show."

Doing that took her three attempts, and two more dropped cans. Given Takamichi-sensei's rule that cans that touched the ground were 'dead', that put Noriko at the bottom of the current group with four, a situation she was not used to. But the third attempt was successful, enough to keep the can airborne, at least, even if she did slice off a few slivers.

"Good, keep that up," Takamichi-sensei told her after she hit the can a second time. "Remember, don't get so caught up doing things the 'proper way' that you neglect a way that works better for you. Keep working on this, I'm heading to see if Yussef-kun needs help."  
Noriko just nodded, her attention on the small swarm of discs, trying to hit the can, direct it towards its target, and _not_ slice it to ribbons. She had been proud of her control before. Now, the small part of her mind not busy reinforcing that control could only marvel at her teachers. _Takamichi-sensei can do this with fifteen and nine? Kami-sama, that's scary impressive._

"Hey Riko-chan, look!" Laura's shout, and the two white spheres she was pin-balling around her target, almost caused Noriko to loose her own spell from the surprise, "Two up! Twice the fun at half the price!"

------------------------------

Hayate looked up as Laura slipped into her office, and gave the girl a reassuring smile. Laura had not so much opened the door as cracked it, and slipped in to stand just beside it. She had the look of someone who knew they were in trouble, but was not quite sure what for. _Which, given her track record to date, might be more a matter of having so many things to choose from she's not sure which we've discovered,_ Hayate thought with a silent mental laugh. Aloud, she said, "Relax, Laura, no trouble here today."

"We're just interested in how you detected Takashi," Shamal added, moving to gently tug the girl to a chair. "None of us can detect him, not even Hayate, unless she's deliberately looking for him."

"I... I don't really know," Laura replied, sitting gingerly. "There was just this sense of... weird."

"That's not something to be concerned about, Laura," Hayate said, moving to take the chair beside her as Shamal moved a third chair in front of her. "You've learned a lot, but you really are just beginning your studies. So far, we have focused on control and defense, the two things you must have, if you run into trouble, to last long enough to get help. Sensory techniques are rather more subtle, and you may simply not have encountered the proper terms yet."

"So, you're going to scan me, to find out what's going on? My memories and whatnot?"

"Shamal will," Hayate replied, noticing a flash of worry, "but only the relevant memories. You've encountered Takashi twice, so we'll take a look at both of those incidents. Is that all right? If you're too uncomfortable with it, we'll settle for a basic sensory scan." Laura continued to hesitate, but finally nodded. It took a moment after that for Hayate to realize why. _She's worried we'll discover they're working on devices,_ she told Shamal.

_Oh?_ Shamal answered, then,_ Oh! That is funny. Should we tell her we already know?_

_No, I don't want to scare them with how closely we monitor them. Signum has it in hand. They're apparently being rather more adventurous than I expected, but nothing dangerous yet. They're still just designing._

_Oh, you just want to surprise the rest of us, don't you?_ Shamal gave her a quick smile, then leaned forward and placed a finger tip gently on Laura's forehead. "Relax, Laura-chan," the Knight of the Lake ordered softly, "think back to the first time you ever saw Takashi, the first time you encountered him."

As the soft green glow suffused Shamal, and began spreading to cover Laura as well, Hayate reached out with her own magic, quietly forming a series of shields around the trio, both to isolate the spell and thereby increase its effectiveness, and to protect Shamal and Laura from stray outside influences. Then she was left to watch and wait, something that she was used to, but never quite reconciled to.

Shamal still pulled out of the trance sooner than she expected, only a minute or two, and her voice was far too formal when she spoke, leaving Laura in trance and unaware. "Mistress? We might have a larger problem."

That tone, and the subject of this investigation, caused Hayate to tense slightly. "What is it, Shamal?"

"She's seen Takashi before. Before arriving here, I mean," Shamal told her. "He appeared at her school, without the Hellblade, about three months before you went to offer her family the invitation. Her memory of it is very hazy, I think he shrouded it somehow, but he was there, and he spoke to her, briefly. I can't make out what he said, or just how long he was there, but..."

"But Takashi was never told who we would be extending invitations to," Hayate said, mind now whirling rapidly. _Three months before we extended the invitations,_ she thought. _We had the list down to thirty or forty by then, but not finalized. How did he get a hold of the list? Where were copies of it kept? Why was he visiting Laura, and did he visit the rest?_ Too many questions, which would take too much time to answer. She had to focus on the immediate issue, and worry about Takashi's preempting her later. "I'm getting tired of saying this, but I'll deal with him later," she told Shamal. "For now, let's just find out how Laura detected him, and see if it's something dangerous to her, or if we can learn how to do it ourselves."

Shamal nodded, and resumed her memory scan. This time she remained in the trance for significantly longer, guiding Laura's memories to her more recent encounters with the only other free Deva user. Hayate could sense the delicate play of power, the careful flow that enabled Shamal to study those incidents as if they were her own memories, with all her greater experience to analyze them. After perhaps half an hour, Shamal's memory scan ended, and she sat back with a sigh.

"Thank you, Laura-chan," Shamal whispered, "That was most helpful."

Laura blinked a few times, coming out of the trance more slowly than her teacher. "Umm, I think... I remember him from before, don't I?"

"Shamal found a blocked memory," Hayate explained. "Don't worry, Takashi's presence was part of the selection process we used to choose our first students. He was not supposed to interact with you, but..." she shrugged helplessly, "he is ever and always a law unto himself. I'm sorry he did, especially if he discomfited you at all..."

"Tche, more like annoyed me," Laura muttered. "Bast... bum's too arrogant, like Yussef." Hayate and Shamal shared small smiles. Laura's almost-curse was amusing, but if she had not caught herself, it would have been an almost direct quote of one of Vita's comments on the same subject. Her next comment stilled those smiles, laced as it was with worry, "Do you know why I can sense him? Is it dangerous?"

"I believe I know how," Shamal answered, "and if you would like, I think I can show you? Mistress?"

Hayate nodded, and called up enough power to spin out her own awareness, reaching out to rest a hand on Shamal's, when her Knight once again touched Laura's forehead. "Follow us in, Laura-chan," Shamal ordered, "just reach out to our magic with yours, and let it follow me."

Hayate sensed Laura's mind in touch with hers, the clumsy formless efforts of an untrained mage trying to sense the world through power alone, and 'caught' her, bringing her into Shamal's wake. They followed her probes, finding themselves approaching Laura's linker core, and a moment later, Shamal's mental voice echoed through their minds.

_Each linker core is unique,_ Shamal explained, _but there are similarities, like snowflakes. These similarities provide some explanation for each mage's specialties, and occasionally refined abilities. Fate's affinity for lightning, for instance, or Yuuno's for knowledge. All of us have some such facets to our linker cores, and you, Laura, have one of the more common refined abilities. Which by no means makes it common, only better known than most. Perhaps one in a hundred mages share it, far more than the one in thousands for most other known refined abilities._

They reached Laura's linker core, and Shamal focused their combined attention on the pulsing, shifting, latticework structure of power-filled nothingness that gave her access to her magic. A portion of it became clear, where the shifting stilled, and a weird sort of almost-stability became apparent. _This is it. I've never actually studied something like this before,_ Shamal admitted. _As the Wolkenritter, we had no interest in such things, and have not had time for such purely scholarly pursuits since Hayate-sama freed us. But this is how you were able to sense Takashi, Laura-chan. You have an innate ability to sense dimensional disturbances in progress. Since Takashi's magic is purely Deva-type, it affects the fabric of reality similarly to a dimensional disturbance, allowing you to detect him._

Laura's response was quick and, as usual for her, surprisingly incisive. _Then how come I can't detect Hayate-sensei the same way?_

Hayate fielded that answer, _How much magic have I actually done around you, Laura? Not much, and most of it was actually Reinforce, or no where near as strong or wide-ranging as Takashi's cloaking spells._

_It may also be a matter of conscious sensitivity,_ Shamal offered, beginning to draw them back out of the probe. _To detect individual spells, you may need to be trained to do so, or focused on it. Remember, Takashi keeps a large number of magical effects on himself as a matter of course. He is truly combat ready at all times. If you ever encounter Hayate-sama as she prepares for battle, you will no doubt feel something similar to what you did this afternoon, even without training._

"Oh man, more lessons?" There was a distinct whine to Laura's voice as they separated, but it quickly vanished under her arguments. "I've already got Signum-sensei on my case three times a week, and Lotte-sensei gave me _another_ new project, on top of all my regular classes, and I've got to work on my, ah, well the rest of my studying! I don't have time for another set of lessons, do I?"

Hayate chuckled a little, both at Laura's near admission, and at her earnest desire to avoid any more studying. In truth, she was carrying more than Hayate had planned for any of her students, more than anyone else in the school, though Signum insisted her lessons were just to 'keep the firebrand out of trouble.' "Relax, Laura, we aren't planning any new lessons for you right now."

"We probably should not try just yet anyhow," Shamal added. "None of us have similar refined abilities, so we will have to conduct some research to see how they are normally trained. I think Aria-san would do well for that, Mistress?"

"Hmm, yes, Aria could look it up. She's still in regular touch with Yuuno, he may know more."

"At least I'm not stuck with more lessons," Laura muttered.

"Yet," Hayate reminded her with a grin. "You'll have to learn to control it eventually, but it isn't a danger at the moment. For now, run along to dinner, and please let Noah and Cidela know that we'll need to see both of them after dinner?"

Laura stood and bowed, not properly, but passably well, then bounced to the door. "Sure thing, Hayate-sensei. Good night."

Once she was gone, Hayate rose and moved back to her desk, as Shamal replaced the chair she had been using. The PDA was still there, and a quick tap woke it to display the plans the two of them had been studying. Shamal noticed what she was looking at, and asked, "Are we still going?"

Hayate nodded, scrolling down a few pages to the section marked 'SECURITY'. "Yes, I think so. Even if Takashi has been more active than we thought, even with the continuing probes, we'll still take them out. Besides, we've already received the invitation from Noriko's grandfather, we can't very well turn them down. But I think I'll ask Aria and Lotte to remain behind, after all, to keep an eye on the campus."

"If you're certain, Hayate-chan," Shamal replied, obviously not so sure.

Hayate just smiled, "No, I'm not sure, Shamal. But it's the best compromise I can come up with right now. Nanoha's sure she can't stay?"

Shamal shook her head, "_Asura_ is in pursuit of a group of renegade artificers. They're recreating Lost Logia, and leaving them to run wild when they don't work properly."

Hayate grimaced, then shook her head, "No, that's more important. Why can't people be more responsible?"

"Most are," Shamal said, "and for those who aren't, we can keep them in line."

"I know it's the values we're trying to teach my kids," Hayate whispered, "but sometimes I get so tired of being responsible, and restrained, and upstanding." She sighed heavily, then shook herself all over, and leaned over the PDA, before continuing in a more resolute tone, "But, that's not going to get these taken care of. Let me know when Cidela and Noah arrive?"

"I'll have dinner down for both of us in a minute," Shamal smiled at Hayate's surprised glance. "Even you must eat, Mistress."

Hayate returned the smile with a wry one of her own, and nodded, "all right, Shamal, I'll be good. But I still need to get this done."

Shamal slipped out without another word, and Hayate turned back to reviewing arrangements for the first trip off campus her students would be taking. _Maybe Chrono can come lend a hand, she thought,_ jotting down a note, _Kami-sama knows, I'm starting to think I'll need direct Bureau help to catch these intruders._

------------------------------

Eni Li'Nave: I've got the three students I'm most concerned with (Laura, Noriko & Yussef) in play now, and most of the student-level views will be theirs, but I am trying to get the other students to stand out a little. As for where the trio will get components for their devices, I have a plan, but you'll have to read on to find out what it is. They'll start assembly in the next couple of chapters, though I won't show their devices until a specific point in the plot, where they become relevant.

A Cannon: That was quite a compliment for Path of Vengeance, and I'm glad you're still enjoying Academy Blues. I'd use more of the original cast, but I've found I'm more comfortable writing OC's, there's less 'history' to keep in mind. It's world-creation that I have trouble with – at the moment, I need something to act as an anchor to keep me from getting ridiculous. Oh, and not to be picky, but Takashi's not Akira:), the latter was based on the former. The differences should be a little more obvious later on, but they are important.

Sheo Darren: I hadn't thought of the wards that way, more of a 'what you can't see, you can't counter.' Who's intruding, and what they're intruding for, is a secret, I'm afraid, one I need to play out as long as possible. And yes, Signum's always the most intimidating of the Wolkenritter. Noriko's abilities (actually, all three 'main' students' abilities) will be developed further, similarly to how each of the original cast has their personal specialties and tricks. Mariachi is based on the character from Desperado, yes, but only in attitude and manner (no guns!). No offense to anyone from Mexico, but in both versions I've seen the character's been one of the most striking heroes from the region I know. As for the Aussie mage, the Aborigines have always followed beliefs (and, by inference, magical traditions) that are weirdly different to Western traditions. They're neither ahead of nor behind the times, their sideways of it, though I'm still playing with whether or not they'll be involved again (maybe next sequel:).

Jellyfish Marine: Yes, the kids are learning quick, but remember – Hayate picked from the best and brightest, so they should.

Common replies (since these things came up repeatedly:) – I'm afraid there won't be any deliberate pairings. The last thing you want to read is me trying to write romance, it doesn't work. It happens on accident, some times, but the deliberate attempts are… just wrong. Especially, Laura & Yussef won't be hooking up, unless it's literally, with meat-hooks and killer-intent. Remember, most often, mutual spite is just that. They won't really get (more) violent with each other, but they're rivals and more fun that way. As for Takashi… well, he's dangerous, old, shifty, powerful, and pretty much independent of any restraints save his own (and Hayate's, when he's feeling cooperative). He was calmer/more depressed at the end of PoV, but he was also still in mourning for his wife. Here & now he's got a reason to be active, though I'll try & be clearer with that (and why) in future chapters. He was also only supposed to be referenced, but I keep running into reasons his mentality wouldn't let him 'fade away', and plot reasons have come up to keep him involved as well. Yes, he's dark and dangerous (I was thinking more Scar's Theme, from Battlestar Galactica, than Vader's theme, but both could work), but for a purpose. Like I said, I'll try to clarify him as the story progresses.


	9. 09 Dangerous Children

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 09 – Dangerous Children -

Yussef made his way through the palace complex carefully, trying both to avoid getting lost, and to avoid annoying the security personnel no doubt watching his every move. He was quite familiar with bodyguards, but not with ones as unobtrusively omnipresent as he had found here. No one had actually said anything to any of them, but the lectures from Signum-sensei and Hayate-sensei had been quite clear about 'staying with their group' and 'being careful not to go anywhere alone,' and, above all, 'be polite to our hosts.' He thought the palace would be safe, since Noriko's family was allowing them to use it as a residence while in Kyoto, but still.

That had been an embarrassing revelation, though thankfully he had not made a fool of himself like Laura had, when Hayate-sensei announced both the trip, and who they would be staying with. He, of all people, should have realized who Noriko was, from the hints Hayate-sensei had given him, and how she carried herself. She was too disciplined and too 'in-charge' to be the daughter of a corporate executive, as he had originally surmised. That environment did not create the sort of family tradition of excellence that lead to people their age with that much discipline. Only old bloodlines, old families, had that sort of tradition, and there was only one such family in this area of Japan that was famous enough to be known _all over_ Japan.

Laura, in contrast to himself, had actually yelled at Noriko in class, the closest the two had ever come to a fight, as far as he knew, ranting about her 'keeping secrets,' and 'deceiving her poor, innocent, trusting friends.' Yussef could understand being surprised, and upset about not figuring it out sooner. He was both, himself. But to be upset because someone kept a secret? That was a ridiculously naïve extreme, even for an American girl. Noriko had handled it with her usual calm, which was something he meant to ask her about one of these days – how to stay calm in the face of the ditz's extremes.

The trip down to Kyoto had been beautiful enough, even if it was too green and close for his tastes. He preferred the desert and ocean he had grown up with, tans and blues stretching to distant horizons, but the tree-covered mountains were, he could admit, beautiful in their own right. The city itself had been just that, a city, and while some of the others had chattered on loudly about this or that sight, he preferred trying to discern their destination, studying routes to and from.

Introductions at the palace had been, as he expected, lengthy and formal. They had been warned, of course, and all of them were on their best behavior, but it was still difficult to sit through. The palace complex was beautiful, a small collection of linked buildings set in a massive park with either two small lakes, or one large one, he had not been able to tell which. Signs outside indicated there were normally tours, but a larger one indicated there would be none for the next three days. Which time frame just happened to be the length of the class' stay.

Noriko's family had been impressive enough, though rather formal and distant. However much official power they held, it was apparent they were used to holding quite a lot of _actual _authority, and being careful in its use. Only Noriko's father, mother and sisters had been present, and he understood that her father was the Emperor's second son, not the heir, but it was still easy to see where Noriko's demeanor and discipline came from.

The only real surprise had been how well Laura managed to hold herself together. Admittedly, she had practically been welded to Signum-sensei's hip from the time they left the bus, but Yussef had not thought even that would keep her from doing something extravagantly stupid. Contrary to his expectations, Laura had at least been quiet, even if she had been staring around like a Bedouin in his first city. No one had really gotten out of hand, though there was quite a lot of fidgeting going on. There was just too much to look at, even in the obviously carefully preserved palace, for all of them to stay completely calm, especially since this was the first real experience most of them had with Japan outside the campus.

Their collective urge to explore had been indulged eventually by breaking them up into three groups to tour the palace complex. That had been interesting, though history was only interesting to him when personalities were involved, rather than just dry events and remembrances. Once that was done, they had been given rooms, four to a room, all the boys on one side of the hall, all the girls except Noriko on the other, with the teachers in rooms at each end. After a mildly formal dinner, they had been released to explore on their own, so long as they stayed within the palace compound wall, and most of the class had taken the opportunity to head back outside and investigate the foot paths again.

Yussef, however, had a meeting that he both was and was not looking forward to. He was looking forward to hearing what news Noriko had on their secret project, and seeing if she had anything else to add before he finalized his design. He was _not_ looking forward to having to spend any length of time in close and at least polite company with Laura.

He found the door he was looking for eventually, in the private quarters of the Imperial Family, and knocked gently. A moment later, the panel slid open, and Noriko blinked at him. "You called?"

She smiled slightly, then stepped into the room. "Come in, Yussef-kun. Close the door and have a seat."

"Does he _have_ to be here?"

"Yes, Laura," Noriko said, in a long suffering tone that told Yussef this was far from the first time she had answered that question.

"Don't forget, ditz, that we're all in this together," Yussef reminded her as he settled onto one of the empty pillows by the low table. "If you want to get rid of me, all you have to do is tell Hayate-sensei."

Laura's sulky expression shifted into a grin, and she leaned forward, planting her chin on one fist. "Betcha ten bucks US they already know what we're doing."

Yussef looked at her, then shook his head, "You don't _have _ten dollars, ditz, and if they knew what we were doing, they'd have already called us on the carpet about it."

"If I don't have ten bucks, and I'm wrong, you've got nothing to loose." She slid off the pillow, sprawling backwards on the floor to grab a bag he remembered her carrying onto the bus. She fished around in it for a moment, not bothering to stand up, or even roll over so she wasn't upside down, and came back up with a wallet. A moment later, a somewhat wrinkled ten dollar bill was sitting on Noriko's table. "So," Laura said, "can you match me, or what?"

Yussef glared at her for a moment. He knew this was a trap, and figured out almost immediately that she knew something she was not telling the rest of them. But he also realized that she would _not _tell them now unless he took her bet, or Noriko wheedled it out of her. A glance at their hostess showed that she was just watching the exchange with an amused look, so he decided she was not going to do anything any time soon. "Fine," he told Laura, "I'll take your bet." He reached into his own wallet, and pulled out a handful of yen. Doing some math based on rough information from when he arrived in Japan two months ago, he counted out what he thought was about ten US dollars, dropping it atop Laura's bill. "They don't know about us trying to build our own devices."

Laura's grin became vicious, and her hand slapped down on the pile of money. "I was in a link with Hayate-sensei and Shamal-ba-san a couple days ago. They were looking into how I can detect Ta-chan when you can't, but Hayate-sensei let a couple thoughts slip from the back of her mind. Including how amusing it'll be when _we_ unveil _our_ devices." Then she stuck her tongue out at him.

Yussef winced when she used her nickname for Takashi, but that did not stop him from grabbing her hand before she could pull the 'pot' back. "Nice try, ditz, but you can claim anything you like. Noriko, what say you hold on to this until we confirm whether or not Hayate-sensei and the rest already know?" He could see the dawning look of consternation on Laura's face as he outmaneuvered her, and just grinned, and lifted her hand away from the money.

Noriko swept it up, folded it into a little square, and tossed it into her own bag, grinning slightly herself. "I'll be glad to hold on to it, though you understand I'm not joining in. I think I know how it'll turn out, but I'm not sure."

Laura slumped back on her pillow with a huff, "Fine, be that way. You're just sore 'cause I'm right, rich-boy."

"I believe in making certain of my bets, ditz, and not trusting someone trying to get money off me. So, Noriko-san, what was it you needed to talk to me about? I think I've got my device finalized, but I would like you to take a look at it before I start trying to assemble the parts for it."

"Laura should review it," Noriko replied, "She's better at spotting design flaws than I am." Yussef could not help stiffening slightly at that, but before he could reply, Noriko held up a hand, "But that's not what we're here for. We're still waiting for Allina."

"Why?"

"Tche, 'cause she's the hacker who's gonna get us the gear, rich-boy."

Yussef frowned at Laura briefly, then turned his attention back to Noriko. "I'm not comfortable involving someone _else_ in this. The more people who know a secret, the less likely it is to _remain_ a secret."

"Aho, I told you, Hayate-sensei already knows."

Noriko's raised hand stopped his quick retort, "Allina is already involved, Yussef."

"Who do you think got me the file in the first place, baka?"

"Laura! Behave, for once in your life." Yussef and Laura both blinked at Noriko, the outburst was so unlike her. She glared at Laura for a moment longer, then grinned at them both, yet another unnatural event. "I'm going to get the two of you to at least work together, if I have to cremate the both of you and mix your ashes, you understand? The three of us are the best mages in the class, and we're working on a quantum leap in our capabilities. We can't afford to be at each other's throats, no matter how much you two enjoy baiting each other." A light tap at the door interrupted her, and she shoved off the table with a sigh. "If you two can't remain civil while we're working on this, _I'll _turn us in, and demand that all three of us be expelled for it."

She strode over to the door, leaving them to think for a moment. Yussef glared at Laura, meeting her narrow green eyes. He could not, for the life of him, understand what Noriko saw in the American. Everything she did, everything she said, seemed calculated to piss him off. But his father and older brothers had told him repeatedly, someone of his birth would often have to work with detestable people, for the greater good. They had drilled into him, almost as thoroughly as the discipline he was so proud of, that when faced with an unpleasant but necessary person, it was his responsibility to rise above petty emotions and get the job done. So now he gritted his teeth and held out a hand. "Truce. At least on this. I'm not going to stop watching you like a hawk, and you step out of line elsewhere, I'll come down on you like a mountain, as usual, but when we're working on this... truce."

Laura continued to glare at him for a few seconds longer, then grinned. She held up her right hand, and spat in the palm, then stuck it out. His face twisted a little, it was a disgusting gesture, but he replied in kind, spitting in his own right hand and clasping hers. The strength of her grip was a surprise, from such frail-looking little hands, almost a match for his own. He also could not help noticing that her hands were a good deal rougher than he had expected, actually calloused in places.

"If you barbarians are done swapping bodily fluids," Allina said, descending gracefully to the last free pillow, "we need to get this done quick. Shamal-sensei and Vita-sensei are rounding everyone else up. It'll be lights out in about twenty minutes."

Yussef jerked his hand away from Laura's, whipping around to lean and elbow on the table, and just conveniently to put his shoulder between her and him. Surreptitiously, he wiped the spit off his hand on his pants leg. "Allina, I understand you're already in this up to your neck. I didn't know you were building a device."

"I'm not," she replied, shaking her head slowly and pulling a pair of PDAs out of her jacket. "Unlike you arrogant fools, I'm perfectly willing to wait until someone with experience and a brain thinks I'm ready to handle one of those things."

Yussef could understand that, though the thought of waiting possibly years was unappealing, at best. "Then why are you helping us?"

Allina shrugged, setting both PDA's down and keying them live. She answered without looking up, "'Cause it's fun, 'cause hacking the school's network is a challenge, and 'cause Laura showed me something I'd've never found myself. Speaking of which," she finally showed an expression, sending a dreamy smile across the table at Laura as her normally uncaring voice became downright excited, "that computer behind the secure server? I got a capture of some of its access protocols. It's called Yggdrasil, and I think it's a true AI. That's why I haven't been able to hack it yet, it keeps responding to my attempts in real time, not waiting for a programmer to make corrections. Jésu y Maria it's such a _sweet_ setup!"

"Allina?" Noriko rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're excited about Yggdrasil, but you said there's a problem?"

Allina gave her a disappointed look for a second, then shifted back to her usual flat expression as she looked at Yussef. "Lemme see it." He blinked at her for a second, and she gave a short huff, "Your design. You keep it on your PDA, don't you?"

Yussef nodded slowly, and pulled out the device. "It's not finished. I need to check it over, have Noriko double-check my work."

"Close enough," Allina replied, swiping the half-extended computer. "I just need to know what parts you're going to need. Where to hide 'em 'till you use 'em's your problem." She keyed alive the PDA, and began rapidly rifling through his files.

"Jadeed Zulfiqar," he told her, "that's the file name."

"Stupid, keeping it on here," she muttered back. "Should be hidden on the school server, like Riko-chan's and Laura's"

"Gah, Laura!" Noriko raised a hand like she was going to swat Laura, but did not actually follow through. "I _told_ you to stop calling me that, now everyone else is starting to!"

Laura flinched from the threatened blow, but Yussef could hear the laughter in her reply, "Hey, what can I say, it suits you."

"Girls," Yussef muttered, "let's not attract any more attention. Why is it bad that my design's there? On the server, anyone could stumble across it."

Laura snorted, "Tche, aho. Do you really think a bunch of teachers are going to leave the PDAs they gave to a bunch of kids unwatched? They download all PDA contents each morning at four, when we're least likely to be using them and notice."

Yussef could feel the blood rush out of his face at that, and could only stare at Laura in shock for a moment. The device design was the worst thing on that PDA, but there were other things, personal things...

"Relax, Yussef-kun," Noriko ordered, "they don't personally review anything, they have..."

"Oh thank God," Allina's exclamation cut Noriko off, and as they all looked at her, the Brazilian girl looked up at Yussef and said, very earnestly, "Thank you! Seriously and truly, _thank you_!"

Stumped at why she was so effusive, Yussef could only reply, "Ah, you're welcome, but what for?"

"For being relatively _sane_! These two," she waved an arm at Noriko and Laura, "are completely fracking nuts! You, on the other hand, are just a power-hungry bastard. That, I can deal with."

Noriko caught her still extended arm. "What's wrong, Allina?"

Allina shook her hand free, and began transferring Yussef's design to one of her own PDAs. "I can get most of the parts fairly easily. The school's got a substantial supply of spare parts to maintain Levantine, Graf Eisen, Klarer Wind, Reinforce and the Sword of Light." She blinked for a moment, then looked up at them. "Do you have any idea how much computing power those devices represent?" She shivered, grinning slightly, "I could hack any network in the world with that much computing power."

"Maybe you should build your own device," Yussef offered.

She waved him off, diving back into her work, "Nah, I'll see how badly yours explode, first. As I was saying, though, there's a small stockpile of parts that are common to all of them. Most of these, and everything in Yussef's, will come out of there. A little creative book-keeping, and they shouldn't notice until it's too late. The problem is you two, especially you, Riko-chan. And yes, for making me do this, you're going to have to put up with me calling you that until further notice. Among other things."

"You still haven't explained what you're putting up with, Lina-chan," Laura replied.

Allina wagged a finger at her without looking up from where she was now rapidly inputting commands to her second PDA. "You shut up. You're bad enough. Only Graf Eisen and Levantine use the systems you want to include, and there aren't many spares. I think they won't notice if one goes missing from stores, but I can't be sure. And you, Miss secret-imperial-princess, are worse! Only Hayate-sensei uses some of the parts you want, and I'm not even sure if they're in stores."

"What parts are you two adding," Yussef demanded, managing to not quite glare at the girls. "If you're adding some sort of restricted or illegal gear..."

"Relax, Yussef-kun," Noriko repeated. "The parts are not illegal, just dangerous. Especially Laura's much-desired Velka-system."

"Me?!" Laura gave Noriko a shocked look, "What about you? At least I'm not planning on ripping out my own linker core!" Yussef flinched at that, right hand going to rub unconsciously at his chest, and noticed out of the corner of his eye as Allina did the same. They had all been shown, in private, how to call forth their linker cores, and the idea of removing it was... disturbing.

"I'm not going to remove my linker core." Noriko's reply was just as exasperated as her response to Laura's first question of the meeting. "I'm just going to be prepared for the day when Hayate-sensei agrees to teach me Deva-magic, and I have to transfer it. I still can't believe you were right that she actually did that."

"Hey, she showed it to me the first time I met her!"

The two of them descended into what was obviously an old argument, and Yussef could only let them. _Velka system? Deva magic? These two are insane,_ he thought. He knew what both of those styles of magic were, roughly, though he knew less about Hayate-sensei's magic than that of the other teachers. The idea that these two were already aiming to use such advanced and dangerous magic was frightening. For once, he felt no desire to 'keep up' with Laura, she was venturing into territory he had long since decided was too dangerous and uncontrollable for his tastes. _Though, that does suit her personality and style,_ he reminded himself. _She prefers brute force to subtlety. And Noriko's been after the Deva magic since the first day of classes, hasn't she? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but Merciful Allah, what are these two going to be like if we pull this off?_

"Yeah, Riko-chan, Laura," Allina interrupted, "You mind saving your lover's quarrel for later?"

The two cut off mid-tirade, and blushed brilliantly, then glared at Allina. "We are not a couple!"

"Yeah, I'd believe that if you two hadn't just replied in unison," Allina said, then ignored them to hand Yussef's PDA back to him. "Take your design off there, and put it in the folder I've indicated. There's a virus on there that should go back and erase it from any prior backups of your PDA they've taken, and we'll just have to hope no one's done a check of the data yet. Most of the parts I can have in a couple weeks, by the end of November at the latest. Enough for all of you to rough out the devices and start testing them. The special bits... we'll have to see. I may not be able to shake them loose at all, without getting caught. And I'm not getting caught for you brats."

"Thank you, Allina," Noriko said as Allina rose and headed for the door, "and we certainly don't want you taking any risks. Even if we have to wait until they're official to add the special systems, just the basic devices will be plenty."

"Yeah, thanks, Lina-chan," Laura agreed, also rising. "Come on, I'll walk you back to our room. We can plot how to wake up Signum-sensei in the morning. I was thinking about a bottle-rocket on the porch outside her room..."

Yussef waited until they were out of the room, then cocked his head at Noriko. "Are you sure it's wise to let her have a Velka-system? If what we've been told about them is true..." he trailed off and shrugged. "I'm not being superior here, just..."

Noriko shook her head. "Is it wise? No. Is it necessary? Yes. I was even thinking of recommending it to you. I don't know if you've noticed, but Hayate-sensei and the rest are getting increasingly nervous about something, and it's not us. I didn't notice until last week, when I went to get a little peace and quiet in the woods. There are wards all around the school, an incredible structure of them."

"I know about them," Yussef told her, remembering his own encounter with them. He had been jogging up the path to the highway, something he did regularly to keep in shape, in addition to Zafira-sensei's phys-ed class. Something off the trail had made a noise, and rather than go looking for it, he had tried to probe for it using magic. Even without a practical lesson, he had been able to figure out how to shape magic to spread from himself and alert him to things moving nearby, like an extra set of ears. But as soon as the magic had left him, it had been like the world exploded. Alarms and lights and warnings began screaming at him, physically and magically, an arsenal of security that had, he could admit in the privacy of his own mind, scared the crap out of him. Only the timely arrival of Zafira-sensei and Signum-sensei had kept him from bolting for the road, and the airport and home beyond that.

Noriko was continuing while he reminisced, "While I was walking, I found the wards, and started studying them, their pattern and structure. If you're careful, you can do it from inside without setting them off. There are gaps, additions, places where they've been altered and places where they've been triggered."

"Someone's trying to get into the school," he realized, an unsettling chill passing through him. "Someone's using magic to try to get into the school."

"And you know what's in there, Yussef. Do you really want to trust anyone but Hayate-sensei with that sort of knowledge?"

He nodded for a moment, thinking just of what they had already seen, in class and out. Then he sighed, and shook his head. "You're forgetting us. You and I may not be in line to inherit much, but we're still part of our countries' ruling families. What would your family do to get you back? I know what mine would pay, and for some people it might be worth trying the Academy's defenses."

"All the more reason for us to get this done, and as quickly as possible," Noriko agreed.

Yussef nodded, then pushed off the table to stand upright, "I hate to say it, Noriko-san, but you're probably right about letting Laura have the Velka-system. It's frightening, but I'd rather have another powerhouse on our side, even if it is unpredictable."

"She's not all that unpredictable," Noriko told him as she rose to escort him to the door. "You just have to understand how she thinks. She's not all brute force and no technique."

"Maybe, but I haven't seen it yet. Good night, Noriko-san."

"Good night, Yussef-kun."

------------------------------

To say Laura was concerned would have been an understatement. 'Panicked' would, perhaps, have been accurate, save she felt in no way out of control. Well, there was the whole 'lost and alone in a public museum on a weekday' out of control, but she was morally certain that was not her fault. So, she was not panicked either. But if this went on much longer, she decided that panic would become entirely appropriate.

Stopping next to a roped-off stand of samurai armor guarding the entrance to an exhibit on Tokugawa-era art, she looked around again, trying one last futile attempt to get her bearings. The maps they had all been given when her group arrived said she was in the main hall, not twenty meters from the front entrance. She could even see the gift-shop the map said was next to it. But instead of the entrance, the ranks of doors let out onto the statue hall that lined the _rear _of the museum.

"Okay, get a grip kid," she ordered herself, still looking around. "This has to be magic. Hell, you can feel it shivering all around you. Signum-sensei has to have noticed something, so just stay put, and she'll break whatever this is eventually." _I wonder if Allina, Juliet and Megan, _the other three members of her quartet for this trip, _have noticed, or if they're caught in parallel effects._

The morning had started out so nice, too – lovely clear weather, if on the cold side, and a full day away from that annoying twit. Signum had insisted on a museum being their first stop, but had balanced that with a baseball game in the afternoon and the promise that, like any _good _museum, this one displayed _weapons_. Laura was no where near the weapon-nut her brother was, but she still preferred looking at those to looking at paintings. Weapons had been useful once, which appealed to her practical upbringing. Art was just pretty pictures, in her opinion, and usually boring pretty pictures at that.

They had piled into a van, leaving the others to their own first-day pursuits, though Noriko had said something about all of them being invited to something or other the next day. Signum-sensei weaseled her way through the city streets, and they soon found themselves being herded into a large, stately building that promised all sorts of... boring. Laura was half tempted to try and bolt on her own, but while she was comfortable enough speaking Japanese at school, the idea of relying on it here was a bit much, especially since Niranjana insisted none of them but those born to it used true Japanese, but were forming an Academy-specific pidgin with bits of English, Spanish, Russian and even Arabic thrown in. She had even announced that she would be doing a study on it, on _them_, which would have been funny, if she had been talking about using someone else as her linguistic guinea pigs.

The trouble started about an hour after they arrived. Laura found a painting, a woman in flowing kimono standing on a bridge in high winds, that was beautiful enough to actually hold her attention. The style had been a little weird to her western eyes, but she had still loved looking at it, taking in the combined impressions of the woman's serenity and the wind's playfulness. Signum-sensei had called out that they were moving on, and just as she had turned away, there had been a shiver of magic. Her vision had rippled, and when it cleared, she was suddenly all alone in this disturbingly reality-warped world.

"Excuse me, miss, are you lost?"

She let out a small shriek, as the voice scared the crap out of her, coming without warning out of the complete silence, and she only just kept from screaming outright by choking on it. She did spin about and bring her hands up, right back at her shoulder, left leading at chest height. It was not what Signum-sensei would have called a good stance, but it did make her feel safer. Especially since standing halfway across the room from her was a complete stranger.

He was not particularly tall, maybe a foot taller than herself, but that was more than enough. She could also tell, though she was not sure how, that he was not Japanese, despite his easy unaccented use of that language to address her. He was pale enough, but something about the structure of his face, and the way he held himself, told her he was not Japanese. He was dressed like a business man, in a dark suit and shirt, but missing the tie and sunglasses that would have made him look like a bad movie-villain. Everything about him, in fact, told her he was harmless, a scrawny but friendly middle-aged salary-man concerned about a lost little girl.

Except that very harmlessness put her nerves on edge, and that did not even include the fact that he was _here_, caught in this magical trap with her, which meant he was either an unknowing victim, or the one who triggered it. Looking him over, she was fairly sure it was closer to the latter than the former.

Glaring at him, as he spread his arms trying to appear non-threatening, she demanded, "Who are you?"

"You can call me Master Jin," he said easily, "please, calm yourself. I mean you no harm. Quite the contrary, you appear to be lost, but I'm here to show you The Way."

Something about how he said it made the capitol letters clear, and that he was not talking about the way out of this loop. Narrowing her eyes, she backed up a step, shuffling to keep her balance. "No idea what you're talking about," she muttered back. "I'd suggest you drop this trap and get the hell out of here, 'fore my sensei breaks in and ruins your day."

He shook his head slowly, "the errant program is of no moment. Its abilities are effectively neutralized. It cannot misguide you any longer. You are a daughter of Terra, gifted with great potential. Such a shame it would be to turn that potential away from your world and people. Come, I will not harm you, it would be against the Code for me to harm my apprentice."

She could not help laughing at that, a brief amused bark. "Baaaka-na, Signum-sensei's my master, not you, and I'll never have another."

Jin frowned, the first even remotely threatening expression, and began walking towards her. She hissed at him, then spun around, moving from memory and instinct. The samurai armor was full-kit, a 'true to times' example of what a samurai would have worn on horseback, right down to the tasseled naginata upright at its side. Her hands settled on the haft, and she continued her spin, jerking the weapon out of its ties with adrenaline-fueled strength. The entire assembly crashed down as she completed her spin to face him again, pieces or armor, stand and rope scattering across the floor between them. Not really sure what she was doing, she channeled power into the weapon, sharpening the edge and making it lighter in her hands.

By the time she was back around he had closed the distance considerably, but he checked at seeing her come right into stance, now showing actual concern. "Signum-sensei's been showing me weapons forms, aho," she warned him. "I may not be as good at it as she is, but I'm good enough to gut you."

Jin sighed, and settled back slightly. "Girl, you have no idea what you are talking about, or what monsters have you in their grasp. I cannot, in good conscience, leave you..."

"Save it for the gullible, you're just a kidnapper with a thing for underage girls. Daddy warned me about men like you, and trust me, you wouldn't like his advice for dealing with them. You try anything with me, you'll be a girl 'fore I'm done." He paled slightly at that, and she grinned maniacally, thinking, _Thank you, Daddy, for teaching me that threat. Works every time._

He held up one hand, and it started to glow a sullen red color. "Girl, if I have to, I will disable you. You appear to have quite a lot of willpower, which will help in your proper education, but you do not begin to have my years of experience. Lay down your weapon and behave, before I am forced to restrain you."

She let her grin widen, and was about to respond, but a shiver cut her off. Her grin faded, and she looked about, scanning for the new threat. Then she recognized it, and her grin returned, wider and crazier than before. She relaxed minutely, letting the blade of the naginata rise slightly, and chuckled. "Baaaaka-na. You're so screwed, and you don't even realize how bad. I'd feel sorry for you, but this is gonna be so cool."

He looked at her quizzically for a moment, then began to take a step towards her. She just shook her head, and pointed over his shoulder, where a shifting blackness was spreading into the hall. "I will not be so easily distracted, girl. Only you and I are in this space, and no one else may access it, for it does not truly exist. Put down..."

Laura could see the shape sliding out of the dark behind him, wide and flat, with two glowing green eyes. Behind the head, she could just make out a long neck, then hulking shoulders and furled wings hanging loosely beyond those. The creature's size was impressive enough, but the absolute silence was... beyond cool. She could not help laughing as she imagined the stranger's reaction to what was appearing behind him, especially since he continued to lecture on.

The huff of breath came from so close behind him it sent his short hair flying, and actually pushed him forward slightly. He froze in mid-lecture, and the shocked, terrified look on his face was just as hilarious as she had expected. Then it shifted, to anger and confidence, and he spun about, stepping closer to her while hurling a spell of some sort at the dragon now rearing behind him.

The bolt was just as dark red as the glow of his hand, and she could tell it was a nasty one. The brief glance she had told her it was not so much a damaging spell, as an agonizer, something designed to inflict a debilitating amount of pain. She was fairly certain that, had it struck her, she would have been unconscious in a heartbeat. It struck the dragon with an angry red burst… and did absolutely nothing.

A moment later, the dragon's massive claw slammed into the stranger's side, sweeping him sideways and crushing him into the wall with such brutal disregard for human frailty that flakes of stone shattered free and cascaded down around him. To Laura's surprise, Jin remained conscious, if only just, coughing harshly and blinking feebly. She started to walk towards him, when the dragon blurred, seeming to flow like water, focusing towards its extended claw, and a moment later, Takashi stood there, right hand wrapped around Jin's throat in a crushing grip.

"Tche, you," she muttered, sneering at him. "What're you doing here, Ta-chan?"

He twitched, then turned to face her, actually giving her an incredulous look. "_Ta-chan_? Where in the name of all the Heavens did you come up with that?"

"Furi Kuri," she replied, "you're annoyingly like Ta-kun, only not quite as adult, and not nearly as loveably geeky. Thus, Ta-chan."

He just continued to look at her, confusion shifting to anger, and then back to the cold superiority he had shown the other two times she could clearly remember seeing him. "You truly are too brave for your own good, girl. I like that, but don't push it too far."

"Jump off a bridge," she snapped back, "you futzed around in my head without asking, I'm not gonna be nice to you."

"Ah, musume found out about that, did she? She'll be wanting to lecture me again, then." He seemed to find that amusing. "But before then, I should deal with this thing," he let go, and Jin slumped to the floor, gasping and choking, the hands that had been trying to loosen Takashi's grip now massaging his bruised throat. Takashi stretched out his hand, and flowing darkness spilled from under the black sleeve of his coat, coalescing slowly into a sword.

Laura blinked at it, considering the massive length of darkness, and asked, "That's the Hellblade?" Takashi nodded, bringing it around to plant the tip against Jin's forehead. Looking over the weapon, she could not resist saying, "Compensating for something, are we?" That got her another incredulous look. "What? My brother says that's what anyone with a big sword's doing, compensating for a little... well, I'm not supposed to know words like that, but you know what I'm talking about, don't you… little one?"

She was counting on anger, it was what she wanted. He had done more than enough to piss her off, and she felt it was only just that she return the favor. Instead, the incredulous look shifted into an outright smile, and then he was laughing at her, loud rolling laughs that echoed in the empty museum. If he had not maintained a rock-steady control of the sword in his hands, she would have slapped him upside the head. Instead, she just glared harder, and demanded, "What's so funny?"

"You are, chibi-ko," he replied after a moment, getting his laughter under control. "Not many people aren't scared witless of me these days, and few enough of those will deliberately insult me when I've got a weapon in hand. It's refreshing, in a childish sort of way. When Signum says she's finished teaching you swordsmanship, look me up. I'll give you a few more pointers she probably hasn't thought of."

"Tche, like I'd need to learn anything from you. She's not teaching me swords, aho." Laura hefted the naginata still in her hands, "she's teaching me spears. More practical, easier to use, less likely to let someone in close where they're dangerous. You gonna do something about Mister pervert over there, or were you just planning on heaping more praise on me?"

He shook his head, still grinning at her, and turned back to Jin. "You, my new prisoner, will find yourself in a strange and foreboding place. You should feel honored, only my wife and musume have ever seen it before. I'll be there shortly to begin asking you questions, I suggest you be prepared to answer me when I arrive." There was a flash of black, and Jin was gone.

"Cool," Laura said as she walked over. The shiver of magic and cold sense of Deva magic, had been sharper and faster than she was used to, and as she ran a hand over the wall where Jin had been slumped, she could still feel it. "But how are you planning on getting us out of here, wherever here is, Ta-chan?"

"We're between seconds," Takashi told her, "and unfortunately, you're going to have to join your new friend for a time. I can get myself out of here, but not you, so we circumvent the technical problems."

"Wait a second, we're between seconds?" Takashi nodded, and she grinned. "Cool! Find out how he did that, I wanna try it myself."

Takashi shook his head, then whipped up the Hellblade to plant the tip against her forehead. It was like having an icicle touched to her skin, and then black rolled over her. For a moment, she was standing on the edge of a bottomless chasm, a few feet from the edge, but close enough to make her gasp in a breath and stumble back quickly, holding onto the naginata only because Signum had drilled into her to never drop a weapon. All around her, there was nothing but tumbled ruins, heaps of shattered stonework in a scene of utter devastation that filled her with sadness.

Then, in a flash, she was standing in the museum once again, and the howling wind she had not quite noticed was gone, replaced with cries of surprise and fear and the sound of tumbling metal, wood and stone. Takashi was before her again, the tip of the Hellblade against her forehead, and for a moment all she could do was blink at him. Then strong hands grabbed her shoulder, and spun her roughly about to the accompaniment of steel-on-steel. She found herself now staring at a lavender jacket, and a long, darker purple queue of hair.

Signum's voice was harsh, but still ice-cold, "What did you do to her, Takashi?" Laura could only stare at her sensei's back for a moment, more surprised at Signum's instant assumption of fault than at her presence. Takashi was supposedly a known ally, however annoying.

"Nothing of moment," Takashi replied easily, obviously unconcerned with Signum's hostility.

"He got me out, Signum-sensei," Laura managed to say, then stepped sideways to try and get Signum's attention.

The older woman just shifted, free arm shoving Laura back behind her. "The hell he did," she replied. "One second you're looking at a painting, the next you're gone. A minute later, when I get to the only point where any magic is happening, you're half the museum away with his blade at your head. The only magic that's occurred here was _his_."

"The magic I reacted to lasted less than a second," Takashi replied, "and I noticed only because I've warded every one of these kids to save musume the trouble."

"He has a prisoner, Signum-sensei, someone who was trying to kidnap me," Laura said, desperate to avoid a fight between her sensei and Takashi. She did not know details, but she did know all her teachers had, as a group, fought just his weapon, and barely held their own. She did not want to find out what would happen when one of her teachers, her favorite teacher, fought him directly. "Please, Signum-sensei, Takashi got me out, he didn't put me in there." Even worse, she caught a motion out of the corner of her eye, and beyond the museum's security guards, she could see her classmates. All of them were holding spells at the ready, the attack spell Takamichi-sensei had taught them, hidden from the crowd's view, but aimed at Takashi.

"Let me see him," Signum ordered, still not moving.

"He is my prisoner, Sword Knight, not yours. Your mistress will have him once I have finished with him."

Laura felt another shiver, and then heard Hayate's voice, "I will have him now, Takashi. He attempted to kidnap one of my students, and you have no jurisdiction on this world."

Signum finally shifted, just enough for Laura to see Takashi, and for once, he was not smirking. Instead, he was frowning down at Hayate where she had teleported in right next to him, eyes hardened into a mask. "You will get him once I have finished with him. He will be amenable to answering any questions you have, and I will share with you any information he divulges. But I will be the one to question him first."

Hayate shook her head, and continued in a hard, deadly tone Laura had never expected to hear from her. "No. He attacked my students, my kids. He probably has information on whoever has been attacking the school. You will hand him over to me, _now_, and I will finally get some answers."

Takashi closed his eyes, and if she did not know better, Laura would have sworn he was actually saddened. "I'm sorry, musume, but no. If I hand him over to you now, you will get the information you desire. And you will turn into the sort of monster you worry I have become. _I_ will conduct the questioning, _I_ will break him, and only then will I hand him over to you, or to anyone else."

"Kyoto police will not be a problem," Noriko informed them, and Laura glanced at her in surprise. Apparently, she had been with Hayate-sensei, as Niranjana, Cidela and Allison, the rest of Hayate-sensei's group, were now standing with the rest of Laura's group. "So long as someone is eventually handed over to them, they will accept that special investigators had prior claim for... reasons of national security."

"I want him, Takashi," Hayate ground out. "He attacked _one of my kids_!"

"Which is all the more reason not to let you near him. You are not rational at the moment, Hayate-sama. You will lash out in your anger and your fear, and while I doubt you will kill him, you will damage yourself. I will not allow that."

Hayate's hand went to the Sword of Light, but Takashi was just as fast, grabbing her wrist and holding the blade in its scabbard. "Not here," he growled, "and not now, not with this many civilians about. He is my prisoner, mine to question, mine to handle, mine to kill. If you fight me, I will kill him, rather than let you do this."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and Laura could almost feel the tension and willpower raging about them. Then she realized she could feel it, that their power was reacting to their emotions and, however still their physical postures, the two of them truly were struggling for dominance, their battle of wills shifting the very fabric of reality about them.

"Mistress." It was Signum who finally broke the stalemate, "Let him do this, Mistress. You do not want to start down that road. He is willing to, and he has no need to fear the Bureau's reaction, or the Emperor's. Let him do this and leave your hands as clean as they can be."

Hayate glanced over at her, and after a second, nodded, relaxing her grip on the Sword's hilt. When Takashi let go of her, she walked away from him, ignoring him completely now. Hayate brushed past Signum, and before Laura realized it, had she had been swept up in a tight embrace, naginata and all. Then Hayate-sensei's voice slipped into her mind, _I'm so sorry this happened, Laura-chan. Are you alright? Were you injured at all?_

"I'm fine, Hayate-sensei," she said, watching as Takashi stepped back into a swirling darkness and vanished. This time, she was ready and both saw and felt the magic at the same time, which she supposed was progress. She pulled back from the hug a little, smiling to show she wasn't lying as Hayate kept a grip on her shoulders, "It was kinda cool, actually. I got to run around the whole place and there was no one in the way, no one yelling at me not to run in the halls..."

"No one to tell you not to vandalize the displays," Signum interrupted, looking at the naginata with a raised eyebrow. "What, precisely, did you think you were doing with that thing?"

Laura blushed a little at that. She had not thought of it at the time, but she had broken one of Signum-sensei's rules: never touch someone else's weapon without their permission. She slipped out of Hayate's grip and bowed to Signum, holding out the weapon. "Gomen nasai, sensei. I needed a weapon against Jin, and this was the closest to hand."

The weight of it left her hands, but she did not straighten up again until Signum said, "You'll show me everything tonight. After which, we will work on your form. What I saw of it was sloppy, especially given such an old, finely made weapon."

"Gomen nasai," Laura repeated, but she was grinning again. Sensei was not angry, which meant she got away with it again. Still, she was a little disappointed to see Signum-sensei hand the weapon to one of the guards. It had been hers for a moment, seen her through what was probably one of the more dangerous moments of her life. But it was the museum's, so she contented herself with a shrug and a sigh.

"Let's get everyone together," Hayate ordered, waving the other girls over, "I think we should be on our way back to the palace. Vita and Shamal are bringing their groups back as well."

Laura felt some of her elation ebb on hearing that, knowing what was going to happen. They would all get back to the palace, and everyone would just have to hear the entire story. She'd have to tell it six or seven times, on top of however often she had to tell Hayate and the other teachers. Then Yussef would toss in his two cents worth, and she would spend the rest of the day dealing with recriminations. She brooded about it the entire way back to the palace, only to find the other two groups already there. She wasn't two steps out of the van before growling at Yussef, "Shut it! It wasn't my fault!"

------------------------------

Takashi strolled around the man slowly, studying his bindings more than the man himself. He was strapped to an X shaped frame, still in his suit, hanging at a slight forward angle. For a prisoner, in what had to be a terrifyingly strange place, he was remarkably calm, not saying a word. He simply gazed straight ahead, out over the ruined expanse of the Hellblade's interior realm, seemingly lost in the distant perspective.

Once he was certain of the bindings, Takashi stopped in front of him once again, where he simply stood, waiting. The man made him wait several minutes, before deigning to look down with a questioning look, just short of being a smirk. "Jin, you called yourself. You know things, things my musume dearly wishes to know. Who you work for, who you work with, who keeps trying to find a way through her academy's defenses, who is threatening her children. I don't suppose you would be willing to tell me this freely? Save us both the time and unpleasantness that is about to occur?"

"You will find that torture is unreliable," Jin replied, "I will die before I break, for I have been broken before, and know my limits and yours better than you do."

Takashi chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Foolish boy. I have also been broken, far more harshly than you were, I assure you. Did you know, most people who know of my existence are frightened silly of me? I have a reputation for being a complete and utter monster, uncaring of any death or pain I inflict in pursuit of my goals. Once, that would not have been true. Now, it is almost true. But the sad thing is, I am not the one who committed the acts for which I am famous. I am not the man who destroyed seven Bureau warships single-handedly. I am not the one who slaughtered their crews and tried to destroy all of creation in order to murder one man." He held out his left hand, and darkness poured from beneath his sleeve, pooling into a human form. "Allow me to introduce you to my associate and servant. Akira, the Breaker of Ships."

The figure, a mirror image of Takashi himself, cocked his head slightly, looking over the bound man. He asked in an almost mechanically flat voice, "This is all? You recreated me just for this thing?"

Takashi shook his head, "No, Akira. This is the beginning of your new task. Break him. Get the information musume needs. So long as he is alive and mostly self-aware when you are finished, nothing else is important."

Takashi vanished, leaving Akira standing before Jin. For a time, the two merely regarded one another in silence. Then Akira stepped forward, and began carefully removing Jin's jacket and shirt. "You have information my master requires," he said, voice cold and clinical, a teacher discussing the result of adding two and two. "You will provide that information to me. This is not in question. What is in question, is how much you will suffer first. I assure you, the answer to that question is entirely up to you. I am not human, I am a program, a holographic representation of an artificial intelligence. I exist only to fulfill my master's commands, and I have never failed in that duty. Consider this, as we begin. What is your true name?"

Jin just shook his head, face hardening as he visibly prepared himself for pain, returning his gaze to the distant peaks. Akira gave him a few moments, then nodded, almost respectfully. "Very well then." A gesture, and a mirror of the Hellblade appeared in his hand. It came up slowly, the flat of the blade resting on Jin's neck. "I have not tested your magic enough yet to craft this properly so it will not kill you. But it should be quite discomfiting." Blackness gathered at the hilt of the weapon, roiling madly, "Soul Breaker."

------------------------------

Author's Note: sorry this one's so long even by my standards, but that first scene just kinda ballooned on me, and I was picturing the second one since I started this story. 'Jadeed' is the Arabic word for 'new', and Zulfiqar was, supposedly, the name of the Prophet's personal sword. It holds a similar place in Arabic stories as Excalibur in English stories.

Eni Li'Nave: I told you they'd be back. Not sure which of the original cast will be by next, but one of them will. I know Nanoha didn't seem to do much, but they've only been there 2 months (started early September, it's now the end of October, in answer to another question of yours:), and that technique really is disgusting, for all its simplicity. Mostly, having her teach them that was a case of 'what does she know that doesn't require a device?', and a chance to experiment a bit w/ Noriko. Anywho, here's another student, and more info than is probably safe about their devices, and the 'intruders'! Question, though – am I putting too much info in my replies, stuff that should be in the story itself? I've felt like that a couple times, but have this compulsive need to answer questions and explain confusion...

Jellyfish Marine: Glad you're still reading, but I'm a little confused. Was this praise or criticism?

Sheo Darren: Glad you found the last chapter funny, it was supposed to be one of the lighter ones. I've no idea what Nanoha's training technique is actually called, 'striker' was just how I referred to it in my head, so... The variances in the linker cores is something I've thought over a couple times as a possible explanation of why each of them has their specialties (Nanoha shooting, Fate lightning, Yuuno bindings, etc.) other than just 'that's how they prefer to do things'. Sort of like singers or musicians, they may choose to fill particular parts, but really good ones tend to have a talent for specific parts that is only mostly based on training. So, each of the kids will have their specialties as well – Cidela's a healer, Noriko's got her disks, Laura's going to break the rules, and the rest will be made clear in time.

CrimsonDX: Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Laura's probably my favorite of the students at the moment, though the next chapter or two will of necessity focus elsewhere.


	10. 10 Recriminations

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 10 – Recriminations -

Hayate sat on the edge of the porch in the gathering twilight, leaning against a support column, watching her students from a distance. Signum and Zafira were conducting an impromptu self-defense class, both as a reaction to the day's events, and to try and burn off the nervous energy all the children had displayed after hearing Laura's embellished account of the day's signature event. It was a rather unstructured class, begun when Signum dragged Laura outside to review her spear-work, but it had grown to include the others rather quickly. They had gone out to watch, and Signum had never liked having an idle audience, so she had dragooned the others into learning alongside Laura, and Zafira into helping her.

All in all, Hayate had to cautiously approve. She had dearly wished to avoid showing her kids the violent side of magic, teaching them combat, beyond the basics needed for control. She had spent too much of her own youth in battle, and was well aware what she had given up in the process. But the attack today had demonstrated that, whoever they were, her enemies would not leave her kids alone, and she could not hover over all of them at once. The fact that they had managed to sneak a spell in past Signum was further proof that the students had to be able to look after themselves, even if just long enough for help to arrive.

Reviewing the incident yet again, she was still struck by what a complete and utter surprise it had been. She had, she realized, become so used to the probes against the schools wards, so used to finding nothing but faint traces behind them, that she had ceased to think of her enemies as people – as thinking, reacting, _planning _people. They had become a faceless routine annoyance, instead of the dangerous enemy they manifestly were. The idea that they would make such a blatant attempt to seize one of her students, right out from under one of her knights, in the heart of Kyoto itself... it was so audacious as to be unbelievable.

_Then, if they had succeeded,_ she reminded herself, _we probably never would have known anything other than that Laura-chan disappeared._ Shamal had already gone over the entire museum in excruciating detail, taking advantage of the Kyoto PD closing it for their investigation to study it without interference. The faint traces of magic were fading rapidly, as they had come to expect from their intruders, rapidly enough that, had Laura not been returned, they likely would have been so caught up in looking for her they never would have noticed the spell that took her. _Yet another thing I owe Takashi for,_ she thought, which brought up another wave of guilt.

She had spent so much time warding the school, building layer upon layer of protection into it, that she had forgotten that the school itself was secondary, even tertiary. She had not warded her _students_, and thus left them vulnerable the instant they left the Academy grounds. Only Takashi's preemptive interference had saved her from tragedy.

What really got to her, however, was how quickly her temper had overcome her good sense. She and her group had been touring one of the city's Tokugawa-era castles, as part of a large group. When Signum's telepathic warning reached her, she had not thought, had not found a quiet place or inquired further, she had simply wrapped her students up in a group teleport and gone to the museum. Even there, she had been so enraged, so eager for battle, she had almost challenged Takashi then and there. She could still feel it, the red burning need to _hurt_ that was so unlike her. If Signum had not calmed her, if Takashi had yielded even a millimeter... looking back on it, she was fairly certain she would have torn that man limb from limb, and that thought scared her.

She knew she had a violent streak. Nanoha, Fate, Chrono, all of them had such capacity, it was a necessary component in any combat mage, especially ones with their track record of victory over difficult foes. But it had always been secondary, a part of her she used but was careful never to let loose. Today she had come so very close to doing just that, and she knew she would again, if someone else threatened her kids. The thought of what she would do if someone actually hurt one of them... She couldn't contemplate that.

She felt a shiver of presence, and looked up to find Noriko's father standing over her, looking out at the students. "May I join you, Yagami-san?"

She actually hesitated a second, from simple surprise. "Ah, of course, Your Highness. I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"Understandably so," he said, settling down beside her, "but please, we are not in public here, there is no need to be so formal. 'Hito' will suffice, in private. Might even give Noriko a welcome shock."

Hayate could only nod in surprise. The idea of addressing an Imperial Prince by a nickname, even at his invitation, was simply inconceivable. Conversely, the idea of addressing one of her student's parents thus was only odd. "Hai, Hito-sama," she replied, and caught his slight grin acknowledging the point.

Gesturing at the students now performing katas, he commented, "I must say, they look rather impressive for what I gather is a first-time class."

Hayate nodded, looking them over herself. "Zafira has incorporated some martial arts training as part of his physical education classes, and a surprising number of them had prior instruction. Yussef, for instance, was learning European fencing. Not true martial arts, as they are learning now, but it taught him how to move. And Noriko, of course."

"Hiro-sensei has been complaining recently," Hito commented, "he misses one of his most prestigious students."

Hayate blinked, considering that statement for a moment, then offered, "We could teleport her back for lessons…."

"No, that would be unnecessary," Hito replied, "she is at your academy for a reason, and I think Signum will teach her well enough. My daughter is not a warrior, in any case. Unlike Laura." She could only nod, and he continued, "To be honest, I was surprised when I heard how she reacted. Most her age, girls and boys, would have been rather more frightened. She should have panicked."

Hayate had to smile at that, trying to picture Laura 'panicking' in anything like a traditional manner. "That is one of the few things about this travesty that does not surprise me," Hayate confessed. "Laura is a fairly typical American. She is energetic, creative, loyal to a fault, and she hides her fear behind aggression. I am only surprised she did not try to attack the kidnapper before Takashi arrived."

Hito glanced at her for a second, then focused on Laura. The girl in question was practicing a rather complicated spear-kata, in very slow time, under Signum's guidance, with Noriko, Cidela and Allison as an audience. They were using staves provided by Hito in place of actual spears, but it was apparent that Laura was quite a bit more comfortable with it than the others. "How long has Signum been teaching her?"

"She learned a lot from her older brother," Hayate explained. "He is significantly older, and apparently a master of American Karate. Signum has been building on that almost since classes began, personal lessons after regular classes every other day. Mostly, Signum has focused on weapons work, and Laura is rather fond of the spear for some reason, so that is what she has learned. Months of personal instruction from someone as skilled as Signum..." she trailed off, and shrugged, leaving the remaining explanation unvoiced.

Hito nodded slowly, agreeing silently. "Have you contacted her parents yet?"

"I will in an hour or so," she said. "It is before dawn there, at the moment, so I do not want to risk waking them. Laura told me they will be up sometime around six in the morning, their time, so I will call then."

"Have you decided what to tell them yet?"

"Only that the incident occurred, and that our protections functioned as intended. I will tell them how well Laura handled the incident, but..."

He finished for her, "But not that there have been other, subtler incidents?" She turned to look at him in surprise, and he smiled slightly before explaining, "Noriko. She asked if any associates of our family were testing the Academy's security. It was not hard to figure out from there what has been happening."

Hayate hung her head, uncertain if she should be ashamed because one of her students had noticed, or because she had not told any of her students' parents what was happening. "They are at risk at the school," she confessed, "I am certain that whoever these people are, they cannot penetrate our defenses, but there is, nonetheless, risk."

"I am inclined to agree that your students are safer at your academy than they would be at home," Hito agreed, "mostly due to today's incident. This was too smoothly executed to have been a spur of the moment attack. This feels like something that has been planned for some time, so they must have been waiting for the proper moment, some time when your students were vulnerable."

"That is our interpretation," Hayate said, "which does not absolve me of responsibility for taking precautions beforehand to prevent it."

"No one is perfect."

"But I need to be as close to it as possible, since they," she gestured at her students, "will pay the price for my errors. I understand that hindsight is perfect, but... I need to rethink what I know of this enemy, and rethink the steps I have taken to protect my students."

"Allow me to make a suggestion?" She gestured for him to continue, and he offered, "I suggest taking them to the shrines tomorrow, as planned," Hito told her. "Taking them as a single group will simplify security, and the priests there are very careful to keep foreign magical influences from the shrines. Not even members of my family are permitted to use magic at the first, and anyone who does will regret it, without any action on your part or mine."

Hayate nodded, "I was still planning to go, if only to offer the students a distraction."

"Would you object if my family joined you? It has been some time since we offered our respects at the temple, and I would like to see your students' reactions first hand."

"Certainly, Hito-sama, we would welcome your presence."

------------------------------

The phone call Hayate dreaded arrived sooner than she would have wished. Taking Laura away from the cluster of girls in her room, the two of them settled into a small back room, not part of the usual tour, that was comfortably appointed as an office, complete with conference phone. Dialing the eastern United States was complicated, but the phone picked up on the second ring.

"Mister Sims? This is Hayate Yagami," she replied to the initial greeting, "Headmistress at Laura's school. She's here with me. I'm calling to let you know about an incident that occurred earlier today."

She was so busy anticipating an angry response that his first question threw her completely off guard. After a heavy sigh, he asked, "Mind you, it's earlier than usual, but we've gotten used to getting calls from her teachers. What's she done this time?"  
"Daaad! I didn't do anything this time!"

"You'll forgive me if I doubt that, Laura," he replied.

"Actually, she is correct, Mister Sims," Hayate interrupted, holding up a hand to still Laura's continued protest. "She did nothing wrong today, and several things right."

"My form was off, and I forgot my shields," Laura muttered.

Hayate waved that off, "The class arrived in Kyoto last night for one of the trips we told you would happen."

"I remember something about that," he acknowledged, "sounded like a good idea."

"We divided the class into groups of four, each going to different sights for the first day. While Laura's group was at a museum, someone used magic to attempt to kidnap her." A shocked grunt came over the phone, but she hastily reassured him, "Laura is fine, she came to no harm, and we captured one of the kidnappers in the process. I am calling now to inform you of the situation, to reassure you that she is unharmed, and to offer my apologies for this happening when I promised to protect her."

There was a brief pause, and then Laura's father said, "I think you had best let me hear the details, Miss Yagami."

Explaining was easier than she had expected. Given the bare details, it actually did not sound so bad. The attempt was made, subtle enough to be almost unnoticed. While Laura kept herself from being truly captured, the alarms placed on her functioned as intended, Takashi entered the extra-temporal space, the prisoner was captured and Laura released. From those basic details, it sounded like an almost routine success of her security arrangements. Jonathan was quiet throughout, though she thought she detected a change in the sound indicating they were on speaker phone shortly after she began.

Despite how it sounded, integrity forced her to admit at the end, "there was a good deal of luck involved in preventing this. Had Takashi not been there, I highly doubt I would have been able to retrieve her before the would-be abductors had escaped with her. I would have found her shortly, I assure you, but... rescue is far more difficult than prevention."

"Luck is always a factor," Jonathan replied slowly, "but you're right, this could have gone very badly."

"I'm fine, dad," Laura said, "nothing really happened to me, it's not like that crazy pervert could've actually hurt me, especially with Ta-chan on guard. Dude's like a bulldog, never lets go..."

"We're talking to your teacher, now Laura," her father replied, "I know you're all right, since you're talking, now please give your mother and I a chance to talk to Miss Yagami and decide what we're going to do."

"Daaaad! What's to decide? Someone tried something stupid, they learned not to try it again, it's cool! I'm as safe here as..."

"Laura, be quite," there was no threat, but substantial force, behind the order, and Laura's mouth snapped shut with an audible click, causing Hayate to give her an amused look. The girl was looking at the phone like she wanted to glare, but was too afraid to.

_Well, that explains why Signum finds her so easy to handle,_ Hayate thought to herself.

"Excuse me?"

Hayate had to think for a second, before realizing, "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I said that out loud, I was just realizing something. We've wondered why Laura responds as well as she does to Signum, as their personalities are rather at odds. But you have the same... voice of command... that Signum does, Mister Sims, and apparently she has learned to respond to that."

"Be that as it may," Marie, Laura's mother, interrupted, "I'm concerned that this happened. Why would someone try to kidnap Laura?"

"I am not certain Laura was their specific target," Hayate told them slowly. "The details of the attempt, the speed with which it occurred, and certain other things I have been hearing, point to something targeted not at my students as individuals, but at the Academy as a whole. There could be any number of reasons. Someone may want access to the knowledge stored in the academy, someone may object to the existence of my school and be unwilling to resort to legal means to oppose it, or they may simply want to test me and my security before sending their own children. At the moment, I am sorry to say, we have very little information. That is, in part, why I delayed calling you until so late after the incident. I had hoped that our prisoner would have provided information by now. Unfortunately, I have yet to hear back from his interrogator."

"Are you certain he has information?" Jonathan, as every time she had met him, seemed far too calm. "If, as you seem to be saying, this was a planned out operation, he may simply be a soldier, a grunt told just enough to do his job."

"I didn't realize you were in the military, Mister Sims?"

"Only a few years, but there's a family tradition. My son's a Marine. One thing you learn fast, whoever's on the sharp end of the stick usually knows less about what's going on than the people he's fighting. There's a good chance that's what you'll find here, as well."

"It is possible," Hayate conceded, "But I think it is unlikely. The spells used to attempt to trap Laura were complicated, and the continued ability to function within that space would have required a strong magical ability. That is not so common that a Terran organization can afford to... dispose of... someone with such strength. I doubt he knows everything, and he will be very difficult to question, but he knows something. And all I need is one thing, one lead, and we can trace it back to whoever did this."

"Is Laura still in danger?"

Hayate hesitated to answer that question, and knew she was making a mistake even as she did. But she was unsure _how _to answer it without terrifying everyone involved. Finally, she forced herself to honestly admit, "Yes, but I am afraid that is a permanent condition, now. She is one of the strongest mages in the class, strong enough that, even away from the Academy, she will remain a target for anyone interested in collecting mages, or with a grudge against them. From what we do know of the organization that tried to kidnap her today, they are willing to operate in America. Though I would reiterate, Laura was not targeted as herself, she was simply the student who they tried for first, so there is just as much reason to believe they will leave her alone if you bring her home."

Laura gave her a horrified look, and it was apparent this was the first she realized that was a possibility. "I'm not going! I'm staying here! I've got too much to learn, I haven't finished... Signum's still showing me so much stuff, and I need to keep rich-boy in line, and Noriko's going to get hurt if someone doesn't..."

"Laura, calm down. You'll do what your mother and I tell you." She sulked, but fell silent before that same irresistible authority, though now she _was_ glaring at the phone. "Nothing happened on the way back to the school?"

"We have not returned, yet," Hayate told him, "the place we are staying is almost as well protected, magically, and better protected, in political and diplomatic terms. Also, I have Vita scouting the route between here and the Academy. We will leave the day after tomorrow, after Shamal and I have each made our own sweeps. We also are not separating the children again while we are in Kyoto."

"Reasonable," Jonathan agreed.

"Reasonable would be to have her home now," Marie muttered, just barely audible.

"Mom!"

"No it wouldn't," Jonathan said, still in that same easy voice. "Easier to defend her in a prepared position. Cops around here wouldn't believe in a... what did you call it again? Inner second? … let alone in magic. Japan, it may be a different matter."

"Inverse second," Laura explained with exaggerated patience, "it's basic quantum physics, Dad, the flip side of any second. Don't you ever pay attention to what I tell you?"

"I listen to everything you say, Laura," he answered her, "and I don't care for your tone. But that's neither here nor there. Miss Yagami, I appreciate your call, and the information. Wife and I'll need a while to think this over, though, before we give you any decisions."

"I understand," she replied. They said their goodbyes, and the connection was cut.

For a few moments, she and Laura sat there in silence. Then the girl spoke, "Mom will want me to come home. She always does freak when I get into trouble. Dad, though... I don't know if he'll want me to come home or not."

"I take it he isn't as worry-prone as your mother?"

"I broke my arm when I was six, fell out of a tree in our yard he'd told me not to climb. Know what he said? 'Bet you'll listen to me next time, won't you?'" Her sulk turned into her normal urchin grin, "Got him to get me my first banana split after my arm was set, too."

Hayate smiled back reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Do not worry, Laura-chan," she said. "Even if they summon you home, we will protect you. And you know enough, now, that you can protect yourself, and learn more on your own, so long as you are careful. Who knows, you could help us to develop a remote learning curriculum. But, I think they will keep you here. You were not harmed, and you really are safer here than at home, at least for now."

"I hope so."

"So do I. Now, I think you should get to bed. We're going to be up early tomorrow, to visit the shrine when the crowds are small.

------------------------------

Kiyomizu-dera was massively beautiful, even in early morning light. The heavy front archway, free standing with its sweeping peaked roof, brilliant red pillars, and flanked by stone lions, was fair warning of the subtle grandeur of the entire place. Further in was simply beautiful, ancient woodwork, even older stonework, and the careful arrangement of growing things that responded to the growing light of morning with gentle quiet.

Yussef walked out onto the terrace, looking out over the waterfall and lower trees to the city beyond, and for the first time since coming to Japan, found a sight more beautiful than he could find at home. With the sun just over the horizon, in the soft but crystal clear light of morning, the temple had such a sense of serene isolation that he could not help but relax into it. Even the pagan beliefs that had created it could not bother him, despite the discomfort they woke in him normally. The details were, here, in this moment, immaterial. Only the powerful faith required to build and maintain this place mattered.

Mariachi stepped up beside him, then Marcel on his other side. The two of them, with Ichigo, had been his 'group' the day before, exploring one of the palace-castles on the edge of the old city, and they were probably the two boys he knew best at the school. For a few minutes, the three of them simply stood there, enjoying the quiet and view. For Yussef, he could almost feel himself slipping into a meditative trance.

"So," Mariachi said, speaking softly but still breaking the stillness. "Yesterday. Think it was related to what you told us the night before?"

"It must have been," Marcel answered, just as softly, French accent giving his Japanese a weirdly sibilant accent. "Who else would have reason to attack one of us? Yussef, Noriko, yes. But Laura? One of the other girls in her group? None of them come from powerful or wealthy families. Whoever they were, they wanted Laura because she is one of us, a student mage."

"They think we are learning something dangerous," Mariachi commented, "remember what she said? The guy was talking about some 'way'. Sounds like a fanatic to me."

Yussef almost grunted in amusement. _I could tell them a thing or two about fanatics,_ he thought, then said aloud, "that's beside the point, except that it's indicative that they'll try again."

"Like today?" Marcel almost sounded like the idea was exciting.

"No," Yussef shook his head, leaning forward to plant his elbows on the rail. "Yesterday was a first attempt. They'll need time to think, to figure out what went wrong. I'm almost sorry they failed."

Mariachi shot him a quick glare, "No matter how much you dislike her..."

"Not like that," Yussef said, holding up an interrupting hand, "I said 'almost'. If they had succeeded, Yagami-sensei would have a much better idea of who they are, where to find them, and how to destroy them."

Marcel nodded, but Mariachi continued to ask, "How so?"

"Come on, Mariachi," Marcel replied, "do you really think they haven't tagged us, magically, some how? Americans do it with microchips in their dogs, there must be some way to do it magically."

"Exactly," Yussef, said. "Which is why I _almost_ wish they'd succeeded. A known enemy is much easier to defeat than an unknown."

The other two nodded, though Mariachi still seemed uncomfortable conceding the point. "The question is what we do about it," the Mexican commented eventually.

"We keep an eye out," Yussef said, "watch over each other."

"They won't try for one of us," Marcel said, "one of the boys. Nor for Laura, I think. They'll go for someone else, someone vulnerable. Someone less likely to fight them."

"One of the girls again," Yussef agreed.

"Cidela," Mariachi said, turning and looking towards the rest of the class.

Yussef turned as well, leaning backwards to continue resting his elbows on the rail, adding, "or Allina, maybe Megan."

"So what do we do about it? The two attack spells we know aren't that powerful, not compared to what we've seen Vita-sensei and Signum-sensei demonstrate. Hell, _Lotte-sensei_ can overpower us, and she doesn't even have a device."

The three of them fell silent for a moment, thinking it over separately. Then Yussef smiled, before saying in a drawn out rumble, "World War Two." The other two looked at him curiously, and he explained, "Since I'm not the eldest son, I'm on a military path, however young I am. I've studied it, sort of, a lot of history. At the end of World War Two, one of the German generals commented that, of all the weapons the Allies used against him, he only feared one. He did not fear Allied tanks, or their planes, or their ships. He feared their radios..." His smile grew at the disbelieving look on Mariachi's face, but could tell Marcel got where he was going, "... because every bloody eighteen year old second lieutenant fresh off the farm could call down artillery and air strikes and reinforcements at will, and tell them exactly where to strike."

"Communications," Marcel said, "we use the communication spell Lotte-sensei taught us."

"And if we run into trouble, reputations aside, we scream our heads off," Yussef agreed, nodding, "and call down our artillery," he pointed at Signum, "our air strikes," his finger moved to Hayate, "our reinforcements," finally, he pointed at Shamal.

"Madre de Dios," Mariachi whispered, contemplating that, and Yussef just nodded.

"We'll have to practice it," Yussef said, "work on using it fast, making it subtle so any attackers won't notice."

"How?"

It was Mariachi's turn to grin, "Haven't you ever played 'telephone', Marcel? I pass a message to you. You pass it to Yussef, he passes it to Noriko, she passes it to someone else, until it gets back to me. Then I pick someone else to start the next message."

"We'll have to tell each other who's already heard it," Yussef elaborated. "And we'll have to use it for other things. How about this, whenever we can use it instead of talking, we use the spell. Today, tomorrow, once we're back at the campus. We use that communication spell as much as we can." The other two nodded, but he continued, "I know it's my idea, but I'm not willing to just yell for help. It sticks in my craw, and help may not be able to reach us immediately. Once we're back at the campus, I've got a new project. A new attack spell."

Again, nods, and Marcel said, "Something new, different from what they've taught us before."

"The more unique it is, the harder it will be to defend against," Yussef said. "I'd suggest you two do the same."

"Sounds like a plan," Mariachi agreed, "think we should suggest it to anyone else?"

"We'll explain the communications thing," Yussef decided, "when we start passing messages to everyone else. But the attack spell... I know Noriko and Laura are already working on their own. Noriko's doing something with what Takamichi-sensei showed us, and Laura's working with Signum-sensei so much she must be learning something along those lines."

"Toushiro," Marcel suggested, "He is still one of the best at that first attack spell in the class. Even if he just refines that, he'll be quite dangerous."

"What about defense?" Mariachi held up a hand, rocking it slightly, "being able to protect ourselves from whatever the enemies throw at us would be useful."

"The best defense is a good offense," Yussef told him, "work on your shield, but an enemy that's busy defending himself can't attack you."

"Yussef! Mariachi! Marcel!" Shamal was standing at the far end of the balcony now, waving them over, "Come, please. We're moving down to the base of the waterfall."

"Let's get started on the communications thing," Yussef said.

"Once we're away from the shrine," Mariachi countered. "There are dampeners around here, I can feel them limiting the magic. I don't think we want to get caught casting spells here."

"Agreed," Marcel added, "I think one of the miko's scanned me when we arrived. Very strange."

Yussef nodded, though he disagreed. Better to practice now, to take steps immediately, and worry about hurt feelings later. But, he would need them to practice with, so he kept his peace, and resolved to keep his eyes open. The conversation with Noriko the first night in Kyoto had taken on a much more sinister air after the attack on Laura. He was used to thinking in terms of personal protection, though it was often someone else's responsibility, but now he had to worry about fifteen other people, only some of whom could really be relied on to protect themselves. _How the hell am I going to keep track of everyone?_

He was so busy thinking about that, as he followed the class through the rest of the complex, that he was not really paying attention to where he was walking. Still, he had very good reflexes, and when someone walked into him, he managed to both not fall over himself, and catch her, spinning partly around as whoever it was latched onto his arms, both of them struggling to stabilize themselves. After a second, they got their balance back, and he finally got a good look at whoever he had hit. Then he sighed heavily, "Watch where you're going, ditz."

"Shut it, rich boy," she replied, screwing her eyes shut more tightly. "I'm doing an experiment for Riko-chan, and you just had to walk into the middle of it and screw it up, didn't you?"

"What kind of experiment?"

"Sense of direction. She doesn't think I can walk between a couple boulders with my eyes closed."

Looking up, Yussef noticed the entire class smiling at him, all the girls working very hard not to laugh. He could see Noriko and several of the other girls clustered around one stone. The princess gestured at him, and turning the other way, he found a second boulder. Frowning, he thought for a second, then sighed, and took Laura by the shoulders. He pushed her back slightly, then turned her around. "Walk straight ahead, you'll hit the boulder in ten, twelve steps. Unless all the air in your head takes you over it."

He turned away, and glared at where Toushiro and Noah were looking like they wanted to burst into laughter. The girls giving him looks ranging from calf-eyed to suspicious he could deal with, but having any of the boys doing that was... disturbing, in far too many ways to count. A minute later, Laura reached the boulder, then turned back shouting, "Hah! So there, Riko-chan! My sense of direction's perfect! It even survived rich-boy's interference!"

Noriko just smiled, then asked in a sugar-sweet voice, "So, Yussef-kun, who are you going to give Laura-chan away to in marriage? Since you helped her walk between the love stones, legend says you'll help her find her true love. Any ideas?"

"The Hell?!?! Riko-chan, you tricked me!"

Yussef could feel himself flushing, and very nearly snapped back, but then sighed, and shook his head in defeat. He could not very well yell at Laura for this one, judging from her continuing vituperative response she had been just as tricked as him. Taking it out on Noriko would just be vindictive, as well as dangerous with her mother smiling behind her, and only serve to confirm the smiling whispers the girls were now sharing. So he just turned and walked away, hoping this would die down quickly. _Laura's frivolousness is spreading,_ he thought to himself. _Why the hell can't girls ever stay serious?_

------------------------------

The return to the Academy was accomplished that evening, which proved rather simpler than Hayate had expected. With Signum flying ahead of them, Zafira and Vita flying overhead, a hired driver handling the rented bus while Shamal watched the children, and herself covering the rear, it was probably the best defended vehicle in all of Japan. After a full day at two shrines and the promised baseball game, most of the kids were asleep, which at least made Shamal's job easier.

They were almost to the turn-off for the Academy, and Hayate was looking forward to finally being able to relax, when Shamal contacted her. _I finally figured out what the children were doing all day, Mistress. _

Tired or not, that piqued Hayate's interest. They had all noticed the children casting minor spells almost all day. The spells were small and subtle, whatever they were, and at first Hayate had thought it was her Knights checking up on them. The fact that, as the day wore on, the spells became more subtle, harder to detect against the background population, proved it was not. That very change proved it was her students, but they had not been able to spare the attention to determine what the children were doing. _What were they doing?_

_Conspiring against their jailors,_ Shamal replied in an amused tone. _They were communicating, passing messages back and forth, playing a game Cidela calls 'telephone'._

Hayate considered that for a moment, thinking at first that her students were impressively precocious, to be practicing magic even when they were supposed to be on a semi-holiday. Then she thought further, about their personalities and skills, and what they knew of the past few days' events, and asked, _Who started it, and why?_

_Yussef, I believe. According to Cidela, they are working on speeding up and hiding their communications with each other. Apparently, they are worried about not being able to reach us in the event of an emergency._

Hayate had to shake her head at that, _like we'll even let them out of our sight, after this. Well, I'm proud of them for taking the initiative, at least. Can you get them all settled?_

_Certainly, Mistress._

_Thank you, Shamal._ She really was extremely tired. She would make it up to them by making sure to have tea ready when her knights came up to the house.

She touched down on the deck, dissolving the flight spell before she was fully down, and stepped through the door with a sigh of relaxation. Here, if anywhere, she was safe, behind the layers of wards and shields wrapped around the Academy. She stepped into the kitchen, starting the water to boil, and setting out cups for everyone. Then she walked out to the living room to wait, only to find that the message-waiting light was blinking on the computer. A quick check showed that a private video message was waiting for her, so she queued it up, and stood back.

Seeing Chrono's face appear on the screen was a bit of a surprise, she had figured it would be Nanoha or Fate. The serious look was nothing to worry about, as he always looked that way, but his tone, when he spoke, was heavier than usual. "Hayate, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I felt the need to warn you as soon as possible. Someone on Terra has contacted the Bureau and written out a complaint against you. I haven't seen the formal complaint, since Investigation keeps those secret until they issue charges, but I've got a friend over there who passed me a synopsis. Whoever it is, they're claiming you are experimenting with unstable dimensional magics, and that you're risking your students in those experiments."

For a moment, Hayate could only stare at the screen. A mixture of horror at the thought of doing such things, and anger at being accused of such callous foolishness, warred through her mind, but Chrono kept speaking. "Terra is still outside the Bureau's jurisdiction, but there are enough people who were unhappy at letting you go that this is going to be investigated. I know you too well to think they'll actually be able to charge you with anything, but this is still going to be a monumental pain, and for that I am sorry. The Bureau was created to protect people, but every so often politics still gets the better of us.

"I don't officially know what's going to be done to investigate the complaint. I don't even officially know that it's been made, which is the only reason I can get away with warning you about it. But you're probably going to be getting a visit from a Bureau mage in the near future, and it won't be one of mine. Since Terra's in my sector, and I have personal history with you, Investigations is going to pull from someplace else, and I'm afraid it's going to be Hykon sector. Admiral Stelletz who runs Ops in Hykon has history with Investigations, and a rep for being impartial, so they'll probably pull one of his people. And you know what the Hykon crews are like."

She did indeed, though _Asura _had only worked with a Hykon crew once while she served aboard. Hykon mages recognized no area as outside Bureau authority, and no mage as not subject to Bureau law. That worked fine in Hykon, where there _were _no worlds not signatory to the Bureau's charter, but Hykon mages extended the attitude wherever they went.

"Again, I'm sorry to be dropping this on you," Chrono repeated, "but you deserve warning. I'll do what I can to head it off here, see if I can get one of my people assigned to the investigation, or at least route the _Asura_ nearby for a friendly face, but..." he shrugged, almost helplessly, "it isn't going to be pleasant, no matter what I do. Hopefully you can figure out who issued the complaint and why, but I won't be able to find out any time soon. Best of luck, and if you need anything, please call me. With this, and what Fate's told me, I'm getting a little worried, especially since you've talked to my girlfriend more than me these last months. Best of luck. Chrono out."

At first, when the message finished, she just wanted to call it quits, to just fly away and leave everything behind, vanish, as Takashi had after she released him, and let the world worry about itself for a change. It felt like the universe would not let her have a moment's peace, not one good thing. She kept trying and trying to earn it, to deserve it, but there was always another problem, another threat, another disaster, and she was so very tired of all of it.

She shook the feeling off quickly, though, as she always did. The tiredness, fear and pain ebbed away, leaving anger and determination in their wake. She had never walked away from anything in her life, and she would not start now. But she would have to change how she was going about this. She had tried to be quiet and polite, to live her life in private without intruding into anyone else's life if she could help it. But someone had chosen to intrude on her life, to judge and endanger her and hers, and she would not sit back and meekly accept that. She was no longer merely Yagami Hayate, and it was time she reminded whoever had chosen to threaten her children of that fact.

When her knights arrived, they found her staring out the glass doors to the deck, face set in stone as she stared out over the night-dark valley. "Signum," she said, not turning. "I am going to re-work the ward and shield structure around the Academy."

Signum nodded, "I was thinking of that as well, Mistress. I have some ideas to extend detection..."

"No," Hayate interrupted, voice soft but irresistible, "not more detection. I am tired of this situation. We have been attacked, and I intend to attack back. I will not permit a threat to my children to remain unanswered. Whoever is out there believes that they can probe and scan and attack us at will. I will show them what folly it is to provoke the Mistress of the Night Sky, to set themselves against one who wields the Sword of Light.

"I will find them, and break them, and any who shelter them."

------------------------------

Author's Note: Just 'cause I know someone's going to mention this – yes, I'm aware that a twelve or thirteen year old shouldn't know much about quantum physics. But you'll note that she was wrong (at least as far as I know, not having a PhD in physics myself). She's got the same sort of pop-sci knowledge that _I_ had at twelve of aerodynamics – a couple basic ideas that are commonly known, and a lot of wildly fanciful extrapolations of what _might_ be true.

------------------------------

Jellyfish Marine: No problems, I figured there was more to your last reply, just wasn't sure what. Isn't technology grand?:) Takashi's becoming more important than I'd originally intended, though apparently he's not as unfathomable as I'd planned. Definitely going to be fun, though, and yes, Laura and he get along well, for a lot of reasons. The magic styles the kids use will be revealed in time (there's already been hints for each of the trio, I swear!), but I'm not going to create another new type. One per author's plenty, and I'm not sure if Noriko's going to get Deva magic or not (or when, if she does get it). I'm glad I can help with your English (kind of amusing, actually – it's the first time I've gotten any use out of one of my college majors!), but I'd recommend relying on several sources – no one's perfect, and I have a tendency to use some odd structures (comes from being a book worm for decades). Especially, be careful of any actual 'speech' in my stories – I write that the way I hear my characters talking, and no one speaks a language the same way it's written, so 'speech' in my stories tends to be full of grammatical errors. Your reviews are great as they are, I'm having no trouble following them.

Eni Li'Nave: First off, thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it. Second off, your last review's the second time you've asked a question I intended to answer in the next chapter! Stop reading my mind!:) The trio's powers and devices are each different, mostly 'cause I've always thought devices were custom made to fit the wielder. I finally found the Wikipedia page on the devices after one of your previous posts, and the mangas, but I'm basing this off entirely the two series, where you never really see any devices other than the custom-made ones, and aren't provided much direct info on how their differentiated. Signum's rapid about-face was a problem for me, too, I just couldn't figure out a way to do it better – call it a case of an experienced warrior's snap judgment being overridden by logic and concern for Hayate, which is how it happened in my head. Both Hayate's and Takashi's actions were based on their overprotective natures. As furtherance of her thoughts in the first section above, Hayate showed late in A's that, as nice and gentle as she is, she's capable of berserker rage if her family is _harmed_, I figure a _threat_ will bring out her temper in a less immediately-explosive but still dangerous manner, all the worse for how calm and collected she normally is. To quote my parents of my temper, "it's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for." Takashi's just unwilling to harm the only thing he has left to care about. As for Akira, having an amoral computer with a reputation for horrific violence can be useful, and he's got a role of his own coming up eventually. Don't worry about 'non-constructive reviews', yours are always good. Not to belittle anyone else, but you've got to be one of the two best reviewers on any of my stories. P.S. - Your comment on Laura's answered by Hayate. Stop reading my mind!:)

Sheo Darren: If you think Laura in the story is bad, you should meet the girl her verbal attitude is based on. She scares me, and my family's sarcastic enough to give the unsuspecting heart-attacks.

CrimsonDX: Thanks for going back and reviewing Path of Vengeance. I'm actually rather proud of that story, for a lot of reasons, including how complicated Wilhelm was. I'm still not sure if Academy Blues will live up to PoV in the end, but I'm working on it.


	11. 11 Unwelcome Guests

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 11 – Unwelcome Guests -

Classes did not resume for two days after the return from Kyoto. The trip had been scheduled to last through the weekend, but their early return left them with two days free, that Hayate decided to leave open. Noriko had her suspicions as to why, but chose not to question the free time. It gave her and Laura a chance to check over Yussef's design, to which Laura predictably wanted to add a cartridge system, to which suggestion Yussef objected.

"I don't need a crutch," he said finally, snagging his PDA back from Noriko, "and I have no intention of altering my plans to suit someone else's idea of 'fun'. So long as you're both satisfied that it's functional, I'm going to see Allina about how soon she'll have the parts for us."

On the second day after their return, a package arrived for Laura, carried in by an almost-frowning Signum during lunch. The Sword Knight put one small end of the long package on the floor, holding it vertical by one hand on the top, and spent a few moments just staring at Laura as the various conversations died around the dining hall. She actually waited until Laura's fidgeting under her expressionless gaze took the girl off her chair, before explaining.

"This will be hung on your wall," she ordered eventually. "If I ever see this off your wall outside pre-arranged training, I'm taking it away. If I ever catch you using it on someone that hasn't just tried to physically harm you, I'm taking it away. And if you ever disrespect it, I'm taking it away. Understood?"

Laura blinked at her, then nodded, "H... hai, Signum-senesi, but... what is it?"

Signum held out a folded letter, removed from a pouch on the package, and Laura took it tentatively. She scanned it rapidly, and Noriko watched her eyes grow huge. Then she looked up at Signum with a brilliant smile, and practically screamed, "Can I open it now?!"

Noriko caught the note as Laura dropped it in favor of slinging the package onto an unused stretch of table. It was short, to the point, and in her father's handwriting. _'Miss Sims. It is customary for a warrior to wield a familiar weapon in defense of themselves and their ideals. This weapon is a part of my family's collection, and was on loan to the museum, however I believe I have found a more appropriate use for it. As a reminder of your struggles, and in honor of your valiant response to the recent unpleasantness, I give you charge of this blade. I ask only that you use it to ward your fellow students as well as you protect yourself.'_

Looking up from the paper, she found the box open, and Laura lifting out of it the naginata she had used so briefly in the museum. A soft surprised noise rolled through the room, but Noriko just sighed, anticipating Laura's probable response. She stepped up to Laura's side opposite Signum, and reached out a tentative hand to caress the weapon's foot as Laura focused on the blade, feeling the lacquered wood oddly warm to her touch. The warmth reacted, and she stared at it in surprise for a moment, then at Laura. "It's enchanted," she whispered, staring at her friend in surprise.

Laura looked over at her, and her brilliant grin turned a little sheepish. "Ah, yeah, I kinda... charged it, when I grabbed it to use on the pervert. Thought it'd hit harder."

"A beginners attempt at bonding a weapon," Signum commented. "You'll need to do better before it actually benefits you, and much better when you construct your device." Both girls flinched slightly, looking up at her carefully, but Signum appeared oblivious to their reactions, still studying the naginata. "Do you fully understand what this means, Laura? His Highness did not _give _you this blade."

Laura pondered that for a minute, then nodded slowly, "Yeah, okay. It's on loan. I'm not going to take any risks with it, sensei."

One purple eyebrow rose, though Signum still did not look at Laura. "This weapon belongs to the Imperial Family, to the Emperor personally. The only people permitted to use such weapons are those in personal service to the Emperor. Are you prepared to accept that responsibility?"

Noriko could see the excitement draining from her friend's face, and made a mental note to discuss the matter with her father the next time she called. She had a fair idea of what he was doing, and was not certain she wanted him to do it with her friends. After a minute or so, Laura smiled again, though not as brightly, and threw an arm over Noriko's shoulder, pulling her in for a hug. "Hey," the American said, "He just wants me to keep an eye on Riko-chan here! That's cool, I've been doing that anyhow."

Signum's eyebrow rose further, "I doubt he'll ask for anything particularly extreme at present, given your age, but keep in mind that, if you accept this, the Emperor can call upon your service at any time, Laura. You had best be worthy of that, when the time comes."

Since she was suddenly so close, Noriko whispered in Laura's ear, "Are you going to use that to build your device?"

Laura gave her a shocked look, letting her go. "What, are you kidding? This thing's older than my _country_, Riko-chan! I'm not going to risk damaging it like that." Noriko flinched, having hoped to keep the conversation secret.

"That would not work, Noriko," Signum added, "as the device must be built around its components, not the other way around. Come, Laura. I have the hooks to mount this on your wall, and I would rather do that before you injure someone accidentally."

Noriko watched them go, Signum leading while Laura cradled the naginata in one arm, running the other hand along its shaft repeatedly. _I'm going to have to speak with father about this,_ she decided. _I really don't like the idea of him using my friends like this._

------------------------------

The gift for Laura, as much excitement as it caused, was not, unfortunately, the most widely talked about incident the next week. That status devolved to Cidela, much to her dismay. She, Noriko and Laura were gathered in the library's main room, the other two completing class-work they had, as usual, left to the last minute, while she was reading a text on healing-magic Shamal-sensei had given her months ago. It was difficult to follow, though, so she actually had more books spread out on the table than either of her friends – references, for when she got lost.

Even given how difficult she found it to follow, the book was intensely interesting. Shamal-sensei's explanations during their irregular after-class sessions were very intuitive, very much by feel and instinct, which was precisely how Cidela had always gone about healing. Even the exercises to control her healing were based on the feel of it, on when it felt like it was triggering. This book, like the previous one Shamal-sensei had given her, was a much more scientific work – carefully arranged sections, precisely described effects and measures, repeatable experiments, the works. Between the two, Cidela had at last managed to get firm control, even if it was limited at present to 'off' and 'on', not the fine control necessary to heal only what her personal energies could afford to heal.

At the moment, she was following Shamal-sensei's advice to learn the 'how' and 'why' of it, before trying to establish that fine level of control. As the kindly blonde had put it, "what we've done so far was save you from your gift. Now, it is no danger to you, so we have time to learn it properly. After winter break, we will see about going further. For these next weeks, just work on understanding what a healer does, not how they do it."

Even without the magic, it was still interesting. Celular structures, the tightly interwoven and inter-dependent systems of the body, the influence of mental and physical on each other... Cidela had tried to explain how fascinating it was to Noriko, but the other girl just listened politely, and maintained that, "gross doesn't begin to describe it."

Cidela's studying was interrupted by Shamal-sensei's voice, "Cidela-chan? There's someone here to see you."

The worried-yet-sympathetic look on her face, and the cautious tone of her voice, set Cidela's nerves on edge. Even worse, her teacher was using Arabic, which only Yussef and the teachers spoke, waking fears she had been trying to keep down ever since she arrived. _Father is come to take me back,_ she thought, remembering the ridicule and worse she had come in for at home, from her brothers and her neighbors. _I only wish to learn, why is that so wrong? _Finally, she managed to ask in a very small voice, "W... who is it, Shamal-sensei?"

"It's your uncle, Adib Al Musab."

For a moment, Cidela felt a rush of relief. It was not her father, come to drag her home again, just her uncle, who... was the single most traditional member of her family, and the one who had argued longest and loudest about her schooling. "Um... I... I'd rather not talk to him, Shamal-sensei. Please?"

A hand settled on hers, and she glanced over to see Noriko giving her a concerned look, asking in Japanese, "Cid-chan? What's wrong?"

Laura was nodding with her friend, "Yeah, why do you look like you're going to faint?"

"I... I don't...," she dropped her eyes, staring now at the hands in her lap. She could not think of how to explain to her friends. Their families wanted them here, wanted them to learn, gave them the freedom to pursue their own interests and abilities. How could she explain that her family already thought her over-educated, thought her intelligence wasted? She just could not tell them that, and not just for fear of their ridicule. She was more afraid they would judge her family than that they would judge her, and...

"Cidela?" Shamal was crouched next to her now, "Your uncle cannot take you away, but it would be best if you spoke with him. He is still your family, and if you see him now, it will be much harder for him to do anything under Japan's laws to force us to give you up. I can tell you're scared of him, but I promise you won't be alone. One of us will be with you at all times, and we won't let him take you away."

That gave her hope, though she could still feel small shivers of fear. How much could they do against her own flesh and blood, after all? But Shamal had never lied to her, so she nodded, and stood up to follow her teacher to meet her uncle. She was so worried about it, she did not notice anyone else following until Laura caught the door from her on their way out of the library, her and Noriko both still giving her concerned looks.

They were not even down the steps when she heard, again in Arabic, "Cidela! It is about time! Come here, we are leaving immediately. Why are you not packed? Never mind! You no doubt have nothing but these scandalous rags! Let's go, the car is waiting."

Cidela flinched back, ducking her head further in reflex at hearing that voice, looking up through her bangs to see her uncle striding across the quad, white thobe flowing, long beard shifting with the cadence of his speech. She could feel herself shrinking back as he approached, trying to hide from and avoid him, as she had long ago learned was the best way to deal with him.

Shamal found her voice first, stepping between Cidela and her uncle. "Mister Al Musab! Yagami-sama asked you to remain in office where we met you! Why did you not wait?" Shamal's question was somewhat useless, as in her surprise she spoke in Japanese, apparently drawing no comprehension.

Cidela desperately wanted to grab onto Shamal's dress and hide behind her, just use the older woman as a shield against her uncle and disappear until he was gone. But she could not do that, could not be that weak, despite the heart-pounding fear inherent in confronting her uncle. Laura and Noriko were with her, she knew some of her classmates were outside as well, though she had not been able to look up enough to know who, and while she knew none of them would understand the conversation, they would understand the tone and results. It was embarrassing, that everyone would judge her family by her uncle's attitudes, but it was bracing as well. They were all so much braver than she was, she had to at least pretend to be their equal, worthy of learning alongside them. So she shifted sideways, trying to put up a brave front and ignore the quaking of her knees.

Her uncle had long been the source of most of her fears. He never allowed an opportunity to pass to criticize her father for educating her, never failed to tell her she had no use for more education, never failed to belittle her brothers for not being more intelligent than she. That had made her brothers, already inclined to harass her, all the more vicious. The fact that he was a steadily rising figure in Egypt's government both gave him more stature to support his views, and made him all the more vociferous about protecting himself and his family from any shame she might bring them.

She could, when she honestly thought about, admit that he was not deliberately vicious. He treated his own wife and daughters very well, respectfully and possibly even with something approaching the western ideas of 'love' she had heard some of the other girls talking about. But Cidela knew her aunt and cousins were treated that well because they were what her uncle believed women should be, and that she was not and never would live up to those standards.

Her uncle lived down to her expectations, responding to Shamal's comment in Arabic, "Out of my way, woman. I'm taking my niece out of here before you corrupt her further."

"You will do no such thing, Mister Al Musab! We have power of Guardianship courtesy of her father while she is here, and only he can revoke it. Bring him here, and we will surrender her to him once he has taken appropriate legal steps. But you cannot just walk in here and demand custody! This is kidnapping, plain and simple!"

He ignored her, reaching out to push her aside as his stride finally carried him close enough to reach for her. Shamal brushed his hand aside and interposed herself again, before another voice cut in, speaking Arabic with an accent Cidela was unfamiliar with, "Shut your peasant mouth, Egyptian," the tone turning the final word into an insult.

That got her uncle's attention. No one had spoken to him in such a scathingly superior tone in all her life. He glared over at Yussef, who was standing at the top of the library steps. "Watch your tone, boy! Your parents may be lax with you, but that is no excuse to disrespect your elders!" He turned back to Cidela, "Come, girl, now."

Shamal, still mostly between Cidela and her uncle, put an arm over her shoulder, "Please, Yussef, let me handle this."

He shook his head, then explained in Japanese as he walked down the steps, "This fool won't listen to you, Shamal-sensei. He has formed his opinion, made his decision, and won't allow a 'mere woman' to change either." He stopped, closer to her uncle than Cidela was, to one side, and asked in Arabic, "Are you Cidela's father? Her brother?"

"I do not need to explain myself to a child."

Yussef glared back at him, radiating an arrogant anger to match the older man's, "I asked you a question, _peasant_, and I expect an answer."

"I'm her uncle, here to correct..."

"Then you are the elder brother?"

"He's younger," Cidela whispered, managing finally to find her voice, even though it drew a sharper glare from her uncle.

Yussef moved a little further between them. "Then you are the shameful one here. You attempt to usurp your brother's prerogatives, you threaten a woman not of your descent, and you embarrass your nation and people!" His voice rose through it, drowning out Adib's attempts to interrupt him, until he was shouting, "You will remove yourself from this campus, and beg your brother's forgiveness, if you have any honor at all! She is here to learn, as the Prophet Himself encouraged his own daughters and wives to do! Would you go against the Prophet's teachings? I don't care what your ignorant forefathers thought, they…"

Cidela could only stare at him, more than a little surprised. This was, as far as she could remember, the first time someone had actually stood up to her uncle. Even stranger, it was Yussef, whom she had thought considered her beneath him, as she was by birth. She was so busy trying to re-evaluate him that she almost forgot her uncle's presence.

Yussef's tirade wound down, and her uncle finally managed to get a word in. He was obviously livid at this sort of treatment from a mere boy, and growled out, "Who are you to lecture me on the Prophet's teachings, you ignorant traitorous boy? I have spent years more than you studying the Holy Qu'ran!"

Yussef's eyes narrowed in anger, but then his face softened, and he smiled. Turning towards Cidela instead of her uncle, he bowed slightly and said, "Cidela, on behalf of my father, Sheik al Khan, ruler of Qatar, I would like to inform you that your request for educational assistance from Qatar has been granted. You will be welcome to continue your studies there at any time, under my family's roof, or here in Japan under our patronage, per your _father_'s manifest will." He waved dismissively at her uncle, "this one will not trouble you there or here any longer, and you will find that our schools and universities are rapidly coming on par with those in Europe and America." He turned back to her uncle, and his smile disappeared as he finally answered, "I am Yussef bin Hammad al Khan, third son of the Sheik of Qatar. Who are you, peasant, to question me?"

"He is leaving," Hayate said. "I told you to wait for us to bring her to you, Mister Al Musab. You did not. You have threatened my students, disturbed the tranquility of my school, and disobeyed my orders. Zafira, Vita. Escort this gentleman off the grounds."

Adib tried to argue, for exactly as long as it took Zafira to lean over top of him and growl. The Guardian Beast did not say a word, merely stared down at the shorter man and rumbled deep in his chest. After a second or two of that treatment, Adib twitched back, then sneered at Cidela, "you'll never come home after this, tart. I cast you out, of house and family. The better for us, not to have to bear your father's shame any longer."

Cidela felt that, but probably not the way he expected. It hurt, but she had realized when her father left her here that she probably would not be able to return to Egypt. It had seemed worth it at the time, to learn to control the abilities that were harder and harder to hide every day, and to continue to learn anything else she could. The pain now was dull, a confirmation of what she had already known. What surprised her was how... freeing... it was. She no longer had to worry about what her father or uncle would think, what her mother would say, or her brothers do. She was free of them, and if she could not go back to her old home, she was already making a new one. Mostly, she just felt embarrassed, that she was related to her uncle and that he had paraded his own prejudices so blatantly, that he had so disrespected her teachers and friends.

Shamal crouched down and pulled her into a hug while she watched her uncle stomping off towards the access road. "I'm so sorry, Cidela-chan," she whispered, "we had hoped to avoid this, but he showed up today without warning. Because he is a blood relation, we could not justify keeping him from seeing you at all, but..."

"I… I don't have to leave?"

"No," Shamal reassured her, "you don't have to leave, you can stay here as long as you need to."

"I… can stay," she repeated, the idea just not seeming real, despite watching her uncle's anger-stiffened back as he strode away. It took her another minute to regain her mental footing. "It… it's all right, Shamal-sensei," she said finally, returning the hug a little hesitantly. She was still unused to the easy way Shamal engaged in displays of physical affection, but was learning to return them. "I did not think I could go home again, anyhow. I'm sorry he was so rude."

"Cidela?" Yussef got her attention, "Are you going to be all right?" She nodded, trying to think of how to ask him why he had involved himself, but he continued, "Then if you'll excuse me, I need to send off an e-mail to my parents. I meant what I said, about you being welcome in Qatar any time, but I should make sure my parents agree." He grinned slightly, then turned and headed back into the library.

Hayate watched him go, then crouched next to Cidela as well, the steely resolve that sent Adib on his way fading into a sympathetic look. "I am sorry about this as well, Cidela. But, as I told you when classes began, you will be welcome to stay here as long as you wish. Your gift is too rare and precious not to be trained. I do not know if we can replace your family, but we will support and protect you. You are one of ours, after all."

"Thank you, Yagamai-sensei," Cidela muttered, and a moment later found herself surrounded by her classmates.

It took her a while to realize that, far from being insulted or worried about her uncle's attitudes, most of them were far more concerned with 'cheering her up'. It took even longer to convince them she did not need it.

------------------------------

Hayate sat her office, waiting for the Bureau's inspector to arrive from the overlook. He was walking down, escorted by Signum and Zafira, and part of her attention was studying him through the campus' security systems, both his physical appearance and his magical abilities. He was fairly imposing, physically, Zafira's size, though not quite as heavily muscled, but his magic was strictly average in strength, barely strong enough with the device in his pocket to trouble Zafira.

The rest of her attention was spread elsewhere. She and Signum almost had the new array of protections for the campus prepared, but they were going to wait for the inspector to leave, on the off chance he decided they were a sign of them attempting to hide something dangerous. The rest was, as usual, worrying over her students.

Adib's visit at the start of the week had been both more and less traumatic than she had expected. Cidela took it with remarkable calm, though Shamal thought the reality of being disowned would probably hit the shy apprentice-healer in a few more days. Yussef's reaction had also been a mild surprise, though Zafira's explanation probably fit the best.

"He's a protector. He saw a classmate under attack, and acted to protect her, regardless of what the danger was. That is the same reason he does not like Laura. No mystery in that boy."

Hayate had enjoyed the conversation with Yussef's mother that resulted from his offer to Cidela, not the least because it gave the most vulnerable of her students a little extra protection. Even if Adib attempted to take Cidela back by legal means and the Japanese courts agreed with him, she could always be smuggled to Qatar, where Yussef's family would protect her. Not the best answer, but better than sending her to her uncle's care. Even more, the woman was quite intelligent, and remarkably adamant on the need for and benefit of education.

The reaction of the other students to Adib's antics were more varied than Yussef's, but still not the sort of confused fear and emotional pain Hayate would have expected. Most of them were worried about Cidela, and now copying Noriko's attitude towards her, going out of their way to keep her company where they had previously waited for her to make the first moves, but they were all equally angry on her behalf. None of them would mention it in front of Cidela, but all of the children had expressed, in their own ways, a surprising degree of righteous anger towards her family.

Laura, especially, had been quite vocal about doing something violent to Adib, and she and Natalia had already been caught trying to create a warded letter that would do 'something unpleasant' to Adib when he opened it. They had, fortunately, not gotten as far as determining what that 'something' was, nor were they even close to sending it, but they had created a credibly stable trigger spell to set it off. Hayate personally doubted that being confined to their rooms after classes for two weeks would slow them down, though Signum's threat to stop Laura's private lessons might.

Hayate was, taken all together, unsure whether to be proud that her children were pulling together so well to protect and comfort one of their own, or worried that they were so protective of her they might do something to 'get some back for her'. It was a better thing to be worried about than most of her concerns, but it was still a potential problem, especially given how quickly they were picking up on their magic lessons.

"Mistress?" Shamal's soft interruption focused Hayate's attention, "Captain Gelcide is here."

Hayate nodded, sitting up straight in her chair and turning it to face forward, turning off the monitor with a quick gesture. She took another moment to school her face into a calm mask and make sure her voice was steady, then said, "Show him in please, Shamal."

Gelcide strode into the office like he owned it, looking about in a steady scan that took in the entire chamber before settling on Hayate. He checked slightly, when he realized she had not risen to greet him, then stopped completely a step later when he realized there were no chairs in front of her desk, leaving him no option but to stand before her as a penitent. He gave her an inscrutable look, then moved to stand in front of her desk, at a comfortable distance, and settled into a relaxed posture. The whole time, he ignored Signum and Zafira taking up station on either side of the door.

"Yagami Hayate, I presume? I am Captain Yedrin Gelcide, Time Space Administration Bureau."

Hayate continued to merely look at him for a moment, then nodded, "Captain Gelcide. Welcome to Earth, and to my academy. What business brings you here?"

"A local government has filed a complaint with the Bureau, alleging that you are conducting dangerous experiments in illegal dimensional manipulation magic. The Bureau sent me to determine the veracity of that complaint, and formulate options for rectifying any violations of Bureau Law I uncover."

Hayate nodded, hoping he would interpret her lack of surprise as imperturbability. "That does match what I was told of your mission, however there are several matters of procedure that must be resolved. Your initial communiqué made several requests regarding interviews and record checks. This is the schedule we have created to accommodate you as best we can." She slid a PDA across her desk, turning it to face him.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he made no move to pick up the device. "Please understand, Yagami-san, I mean you no disrespect, but the procedures for these matters are already well established. I have reviewed your file, those of your Knights, and what little is unclassified regarding your peculiar form of magic. For my own self, I doubt the charges have any validity. But the complaint was made, and you are probably more familiar with Bureau laws and regulations than I am. It has to investigated, and the procedures for such investigations are well established."

"They are well established in Midchildan territory," she replied calmly, "and in other areas signatory to the Bureau Charter. Earth is not signatory, no nation on Earth is, so those procedures have tenuous strength here, at best. This world is outside Bureau jurisdiction."

He frowned at her, apparently not comprehending the strength of her resistance, "The Bureau's laws hold here just as they do everywhere. There is no tradition of mage-craft to establish control of any incidents in this system, hence the Bureau's initial involvement in your own case. In the absence of such competent authority, Bureau law takes precedence. The precedents are clear."

"There _was_ no tradition in mage-craft, no 'competent authority', on Earth," She reminded him, giving him a smile none of her students would recognize, "_We_ are now that tradition, that authority. Per the terms of our release from Bureau parole, the entirety of the Sol System is recognized as our territory, our domain. Not the Bureau's. The Bureau's laws have force here only so long as I agree to them. You need to understand that, Captain. You are not here because Bureau law requires this investigation, you are here because I am _permitting_ this investigation as an act of good will, not out of any recognition of Bureau authority."

His eyes narrowed slightly, "Yagami-san, you do not appear to comprehend..."

"I comprehend," she interrupted, "that you are here to investigate. You will be permitted to do so, as a gesture of good will, but you will not be permitted to disrupt my campus or disturb my students." She tapped the PDA again, "thus, this is the best arrangement we could make to accommodate you. We have prepared quarters for you in the class building, Captain. You will be permitted to observe the classes remotely, and to interview any students or staff, but always in company with one of us, never…"

"That will compromise my investigations, Yagami-san," he interrupted in turn. "You know that such investigations must have free rein to be thorough, and that private recorded interviews are necessary to insure witnesses are not intimidated or threatened by either party."

She smiled at that comment, contemplating her students' probable reactions to his presence, once they figured out why he was here. "Captain, you will find that my students are far from easily intimidated, and rather partisan on my behalf. They will not take kindly to your presence, and having one of my Knights present will help convince them to answer your questions politely. Also, I will not permit a mage I am not familiar with to spend time alone with children whom I have sworn to protect. You may be the most honorable and careful mage in existence, but you may also be a single-minded inquisitor unconcerned with the well-being of those you question. I will not take that risk with my... students."

She had to catch herself at the end, her voice rising slightly. She had almost said 'my kids', which she knew would not have gone over well. If he had read her file, he knew the Bureau had long harbored vague concerns over how strongly she felt about her family. If she started hinting that she was expanding her adoptive family, the psychologists could very well decide she was becoming or risking instability again, which would cause no end of trouble.

For a few seconds, the two of them regarded each other in silence. It was not so much a contest of wills, as an extended evaluation, both of them trying to determine if the other was in a stronger position, if they could push the other further. For herself, Hayate was quite certain she held the upper hand. For all his authority in the Bureau, he was limited by its laws and would, if she refused to allow him access, be forced to return and report that refusal, rather than attempt to summon a Bureau ship to enforce his investigation. He would not be able to force her to submit to an investigation, and he probably knew that, however unwilling he would be to admit it. Sending him back to Headquarters in such a manner would cause her problems, admittedly, but she would rather that than risk having him do something to further disturb the students, or to compromise their defenses. She would have to go to some lengths to placate the Bureau afterwards, which would be far more difficult than putting up with a local investigation, but she could do that at Headquarters, where her children would not be disturbed and no one would notice the questionable portions of her school's new defenses.

Finally, Captain Gelcide nodded, reluctantly. "I am forced to agree, it appears. But I will also be required to report your... less than cooperative manner. It does not help your case."

"I have no case to make," she answered, "you are the one who must create the evidence my enemies hope to use against me. If you will please follow Shamal, she will show you to your quarters. Classes begin at eight in the morning, you will be able to observe them remotely from your quarters."

He nodded again, bowing slightly, and followed Shamal out of her office. Once he was gone, she sighed heavily and slumped back in her seat. "That could have gone better," she confessed. "But I am uncertain how to deal with someone investigating me. I was not aware of it the last time it happened."

"He will be a problem," Signum told her, "but I do not believe he will be much of one. As you told him, we have nothing to hide." She paused, then gave Hayate a meaningful look and added, "Yet."

Hayate shook her head, "You have already tried to convince me not to do this, Signum, and I will not change my mind. Leaving these attackers to keep testing us has left us vulnerable, it allowed them to think they could attack one of my children without fear or repercussions."

"I know," Signum said, "I am merely concerned that this is a rather drastic step we are taking. If they do not retreat from this, we may come under direct attack."

Hayate nodded, "I know, but in a way, I would welcome that. Whoever this is, they cannot begin to match our strength. A direct attack will give us a clear enemy, someone to actually _fight_, instead of this vague threat. The campus can withstand any assault by Terran mages, so the children will be safe enough." She shook her head, "No, don't worry, I'm not actually hoping for one, it would just be nice to have a clear enemy."

"I think you need a duel or two," Signum replied, "to work off some of your stress."

"I don't have time right now, Signum," Hayate replied with a smile.

"I do not recall asking, Mistress. Prime work room, two hours from now. I'll go begin calibrating the shields."

Hayate would have argued, but the leader of her Knights was already gone. After a moment longer, she just sighed again, gave the door a whimsical smile, and replied to the empty room, "Fine, Signum, I'll see you in a couple hours."

------------------------------

Noriko closed the door to her room carefully, and shot the lock home with a flick of her wrist. She did not lock the door normally, but she wanted to be certain no one intruded for the next little while. Once that was done, she sat down at the desk built into her wall, and pulled out the leather case that contained what her father termed 'emergency materials'. Mostly they were identification papers, validated copies of the originals kept by the Japanese Government that proved her status. There were also other things she might find useful, including credit cards, lists of contacts in every prefecture, and even a set of ciphers for sending messages to her family, all standard issue to every member of the family. But at the moment, all she was really interested in was the small satellite phone, guaranteed to be immune to trace or tap.

The phone number was one she was not really supposed to have, and when she first found it had decided not to use it except in dire circumstances, but now she decided revealing her knowledge of it would help make a point. So she dialed carefully, and waited for the other end to pick up. She had delayed this call for several days while she made inquiries, but she was not willing to wait any longer.

One ring and the response was immediate, "Prince Akishino, go ahead."

"Good evening, Father," she said evenly, "I was wondering if I might speak with you?"

"Noriko-chan?" It was the first time she could recall hearing real surprise from him, then he got control of himself and continued, "Noriko, this line is for national emergencies only, how did you get this number?"

"I found it lying around your office one day," she told him, knowing he would recognize it for the lie it was, "but I thought it would get your attention."

"Noriko, you are my daughter and eldest child. All you have to do to get my attention is to ask."

"But now you have reason to take me seriously, father, and I wanted to be certain you do. I have questions I need answered, and I want to be certain you actually answer me. I am somewhat concerned you might try to placate me instead."

He grumbled something she did not hear, then asked, "When have I ever not told you the truth?"

"When you told me why you were sending me here."

"I told you the truth," he replied immediately, "that is the best place for a gift as strong as yours to be trained."

"But that is not the whole truth, is it, father?"

"No," he agreed after a moment, "but I had thought you would not be interested in the other reasons. You never have shown much interest in politics, Noriko-chan."

"Is that why I am here? Politics?"

"In part. Is that why you are calling? What happened to make you question your presence there?"

She debated for a moment, curious about what his other reasons for sending her to Yagami-sensei were. She decided it was more important to ask her original questions, though. Her fate she could handle in due course, making sure her friends were safe was more important. "Laura received your gift the other day. I've been doing a little research since. There are not ten people in the world today who carry blades belonging to our family. Grandfather, Uncle, you, Laura and five men who have... questionable careers. I can find their names, their places of residence, but no images of them, no employment records, no family, no nothing. You and I both know what they do, what their lives are like. I do not want that for my friend, Father, and I do not like you tricking her into it."

There was a moment of silence, then she heard him sigh. "I sent the naginata to Laura for several reasons, many of them the same reasons I sent you to Yagami-sensei's school. Tricking her into covert service of the Imperial Family was not one of them." He paused, but she was familiar enough with his habit of using silence to order his thoughts not to interrupt. "Your teachers, Noriko, represent the sort of international, inter-civilization, change that comes along once every few thousand years. The last such change I can think of off the top of my head is the rise of Christianity. Whatever it's faults, that set of beliefs and ideas has altered and infused the entire world, even where its followers are few in number. Whatever their faults or ideals, Yagami Hayate and her followers are going to have a similar effect on all of Earth. They will not be able to help it, there is too much power at their disposal, too many people will want to use or benefit from it. Even worse, they presume to be teachers, to spread their knowledge, power and ideals. They _will_ spread their power and ideas faster, further, thus having a greater effect.

"When you finish your education there, Noriko, you will be one of the most powerful hundred or so people on the planet. You will not command troops, or movements, but you will have personal energies at your disposal of greater extent. So will your classmates. That will make you all very influential, despite your small numbers and young ages.

"So, yes, I gave the naginata to Laura hoping to bind her to our family, but not as some sort of absolute servant or covert assassin. None but your teachers could hope to hold her as such, which is a good thing. I merely seek to create a tie, so that she and your fellow students will look favorably upon Japan. That is nothing more or less than my duty, as it will be yours one day."

For the first time she could remember, she was rude to her father, hanging up on him with no warning. For a few minutes after that, she could only sit and stare at the phone in her shaking hand, trying to come to grips with what her father had just told her.

On the surface, there was nothing so surprising about it. Her father, her entire family, had always placed Japan's interests first. It was more than an outlook, more than training – it was _tradition_, a tradition that defined who and what their family _was_. So it was perfectly normal that her father would think in those terms, act in that manner.

But the cold-blooded manipulation that his lecture implied – of her teachers, her friends, of _her_ – that was too shocking to get her head around immediately. Her father had never before spoken to her in such terms, never before admitted to manipulating her for Japan's benefit. The idea that he could or would was there in all the training she had received, implied and understood, but never stated, never outright declared as it just had been.

She could see what her father was saying, what he was doing, she could even see that, in objective terms, he was right. From the demonstrations, and what she had learned here, she knew that her father was making one of his rare understatements. She was fairly certain that there was no army on the entire planet that could stand against her teachers. If that was true, and what they had been told of their own strength was also true, she and her classmates would, in time, become just as powerful, and while brute force was no longer an acceptable method of international discourse, any nation that could shelter behind the protection of mages such as her teachers would have an immeasurable advantage over those that could not. Even if they only ever revealed the computing power inherent in any intelligent device, or the school's hidden server Allina was convinced was an AI, that would revolutionize the world all on its own. So garnering their good will, making sure their memories of and feelings towards Japan were good, was simply intelligent policy.

It was just so terribly disturbing to be used in such a manner, to think of using her _friends_ in that manner.

The more she thought about it, however, the more she realized that what her father was doing was not as… sinister… as she had first thought. He was not manipulating them, he was not trying to direct or control them. Quite the contrary, as she thought on it. He could have insisted on oversight from the government's Department of Education, could have insisted on an Imperial observer, or specifically Japanese teachers. He could have arranged for no non-Japanese students to be given permission to enter the country. There were any number of ways he could have made certain that anyone who graduated from this school was intensely loyal to Japan, or even to the Imperial Family specifically.

But he had not. He had allowed an international student body, under ridiculously light oversight. He kept his hands off, save where she was concerned. Even now, he was not so much interfering, as offering an opportunity. Laura could choose to pursue it, but she could also refuse, he had taken no oath from her, merely… made her an offer.

Finally, she called back again. "Forgive my rudeness, Father," she began.

"It is of no moment, Noriko-chan. You are very intelligent, the smartest child in your generation of the family, but you are still a child. You should not have to think in these terms, so I never attempted to explain them to you. It must be disturbing. I know it angered me, when I first realized my father was doing the same. But it is not as cold and pitiless as it sounds.

"I married your mother for some of the same reasons, at your grandfather's manipulations. But I love her no less for it. My friends are quite dear to me, despite the fact that I put them to use in improving and securing Japan. They are quite well aware of that as well. Being used does not necessarily mean being used up, or being used unwillingly, Noriko. It does not even mean having to give anything up. The people of Japan have used our family for millennia to provide themselves a sense of security, continuity and divinity. So long as we benefit each other, there is no harm in it. It would be criminal of me not to take advantage of an opportunity such as Yagami-san's school, or your fellow students. Will I bind them to Japan? No. Will I do what I can to convince them to support Japan of their own free will? Of course. Just as I will never bind you to service, but I will attempt to convince you to accept it."

"I... think I understand, father."

"Good, I hope you do. Just know, I do love you, Noriko-chan, and I do like your classmates. I will not betray that love, but I also cannot betray Japan."

"I think... I still need to think this over, father. I just... don't like the idea of _using _my friends."

"Then don't. Make friends, Noriko, strong friends, good friends, friends who will come when you need them to, and who you will go to when they need you."

"I'll... think on it, Father."

"Good night, Noriko-chan."

"Good night, Father." She was not as reassured as she had hoped to be by the conversation. But she had a lot to think about, and a new way of looking at her world and her friends, one that was not so welcoming as the one she had just left behind.

------------------------------

CrimsonDX: Apologies for the delay in posting last chapter, but I started this as a "writer's block breaker" for a much older & longer story of mine, Rise of the Guardians, that was very near completion. The long delay in last chapter was caused by me going back and finishing off the last two chapters of that story, which is now complete, making this my primary story. I still won't post as often as most people seem to on FFN (this is a hobby, not the job that let's me pay my bills:), but there shouldn't be any more month-long delays. And I'm afraid you're only about half right on Laura's device and style. I'm kinda curious to see if anyone's going to get her right before I reveal her device...

Sheo Darren: Hayate has problems, all right, and big ones, but she's got a big stick to try and solve some of them. It won't be immediate, but she'll prove her claim to those titles again towards the end of the story. As for the scene between Yussef & Laura... the 'love stones' actually exist, but the actual legend is 'if you accept help to walk between the stones, you will need help to find love', not that the one who helps you walk the stones will necessarily be the one to find your love. That twist was just Noriko playing a game with Yussef & Laura.

Jellyfish Marine: thanks for still reading, and Chrono's last line was a reference (to a reference) in Path of Vengeance, where I hinted that he & Fate were an item. Not canon, but I hadn't read the manga by that time and A's portrayed them more as co-workers than brother & sister.

Eni Li'Nave: I hope I'm replying to your review. It sounds like your style, but there was no name on the review? Noriko's father's attitude towards Hayate and the school should be fully explained above, though it's not all scheming on his part. Laura's training is pretty intense, but for someone with her energy level, it's not so bad (yet), and keep in mind, two months is about a quarter of the entire school year. Noriko's just coming out of her shell a little, relaxing around people she was unsure of at the start of the year. She's still an authoritarian princess, as the last section of this chapter should show. As for how the kids keep in touch, it's set in a modern era, when everyone (especially in Japan!) has a cell-phone and e-mail. I haven't got any sort of notes like 'this students calls/e-mails their parents at this time', but I've got a general idea of who keeps in touch the most. I haven't really shown it (even above) but just as Laura has become Signum's apprentice, Cidela has become Shamal's, so when Shamal wanted to know what was going on, she went to her apprentice, and Cid's shy, not mute. Apologies for not being clear last chapter (I went back and edited it, slightly, to fix that), but the kids didn't 'outdo' the Knights, they just got in a lot of practice with one specific spell, like practicing one particular calligraphy letter over & over again during a day – by the end of the day, you can shape it perfectly, but the next day, not so much, and even at the end of the day, not so good as a master calligrapher. Hayate is proving to have a harder time than she expected, but that's the nature of drama, after all – there has to be conflict and struggle, but I'm trying to create that without descending into outright violence like I did with Path of Vengeance. At the end, though, she was not talking to her family – she was talking to whoever this new enemy is (and I'm keeping that a secret as long as possible!:)

FF: Glad you're enjoying the story, thank you for reviewing.

HWSoD: Thank you for reviewing. That author's note was mostly a pre-emptive move on my part – Laura's going to have a few more tid-bits like that, and I didn't want anyone thinking she was some sort of physics genius.


	12. 12 Hidden Experiments

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 12 – Hidden Experiments -

Striding down the hall, Hayate had to work at calming her irritation. It had been three days since Captain Gelcide's arrival, and smoothing over the ruffled feathers his presence caused was already becoming an aggravatingly frequent task. Not that the Captain was doing anything she could actually object to, he was the absolute soul of professional politeness. No, as she had expected and half-warned him, it was her dear, dear children who were seemingly going out of their way to be as uncooperative as possible.

Part of it, she was sure, was simply relieving their own tempers they could not aim at Cidela's uncle or Laura's would-be kidnappers. But most of their attitude was clearly aimed solely at him. Aside from a few insulting comments by Laura and Ichigo, none of them had even been overtly rude. But they were always so conveniently busy when he asked to talk to them, or 'misunderstanding' his questions, or simply staring at him in silence. What had started out as random separate acts of non-cooperation rapidly blossomed into fully organized passive-aggressive resistance, a conspiracy Hayate was reasonably certain was being orchestrated by a certain Imperial Princess, who had so far been, in the Captain's presence, a perfect picture of the stereotypical innocent air-head.

The students themselves were not integral to the Captain's investigation, fortunately, but their intransigent attitude was annoying him, and her, though Vita and Lotte found it uproariously funny. Just as aggravating, the children had taken to complaining privately to all their teachers about _Gelcide_'s attitude towards them, which created even more headaches than just trying to get them to behave. She would be touched by their concern and support at any other time, but at the moment it was just one more aggravation.

To which had now been added yet another problem, though at least this one looked fairly simple. She reached the classroom door, and tapped lightly on the window. Signum glanced up at her questioningly, then spoke to her class for a moment, inaudible through the solid door. A moment later, she stepped out into the hall, closing the door to give the two of them some privacy.

"An incident has occurred in Africa," Hayate told her. "Our sensor net detected it couple hours or so ago. It was small enough the system did not flag it as an alert, but bad enough that the South African government has already contacted me to request that I investigate."

"You're heading out?"

"Yes, but I'd like you to come with me. I know it's the middle of your class, but I feel the need for some backup, and Vita and Zafira got the last mission, so it's your turn. Will you come with me?"

"Of course. Aria should be able to take over for the rest of class." It took the familiar a few minutes to arrive, but she just nodded as they passed each other, she entering the class building as the two of them left. Once they reached the path to the overlook, Signum asked, "Does Captain Gelcide know we are leaving?"

"He is aware that I will be unavailable for the day," Hayate said carefully, "but not really why. This does not actually concern him, and he did not ask." Signum was behind her a step, so she did not see the look the older woman gave her, but she could feel it, and grinned slightly, "I am not concealing things from him, Signum. I merely told him I would be off campus for the rest of the day, to contact Shamal if something came up, and he agreed. If he is curious, he will ask."

"And Shamal will tell him almost nothing, Vita and Zafira will tell him less, making him all the more suspicious." Signum shook her head, "He is not so annoying as to deserve being deceived like this, Mistress. Rather the opposite."

"I know," Hayate answered, feeling a little guilty, "but the incident in Africa appears to be straight forward enough, a job I can actually finish for a change. Explaining, especially explaining how the South Africans knew to contact me at all, would take too long. If I have to, I will explain when I return, with a completed mission and clean incident as justification. He won't object to that."

"Possibly, possibly," Signum agreed, then turned her attention to the mission itself. "I understand there was a rather large release of energy, but I was otherwise occupied when the incident occurred. What are we heading in to?"

"Initial analysis said it was a small-scale dimensional dislocation, self-correcting," Hayate told her, then shrugged. "You know how fast the sensor net is to give that answer, though, so it could be any number of things. Personally, I believe it was some sort of teleport attempt that went wrong. There are peripheral energy patterns that indicate a large amount of mass was involved in the event..."

She trailed of, and Signum finished, "... and mass is not a common component of dimensional dislocations. Common to battle, though. This could have been the end result of a duel between fledgling mages."

"It could be, but it feels like something else. The build up of power that preceded the event was too short and too steady to be combat. Unless you think they started their duel with their trump-cards?"

"No one would be foolish enough to do that, Mistress."

"Takashi did, a couple of times."

"I stand corrected," Signum said, voice heavy with disapproval, "no one _sane_ would be foolish enough to do that."

"Hmm, true, but that must mean you agree with my point?"

"I will reserve judgment until we reach the site, I believe."

"Fair enough. Nothing else on it, just the initial readings and the fact that the local authorities have sealed the site until we get there."

"Surprisingly intelligent of them."

"Not really. Whatever it was, it had to be quite visible even to non-magical senses, and they are probably too scared to approach closely. I know I would have been, before I met the four of you."

"You were not so easily scared," Signum replied, "else the Tome of the Night Sky would never have chosen you." She paused, then asked in an almost-hesitant voice, "Speaking of scared, have you heard from Takashi?"

Hayate glanced back at her, actually needing a second to remember why she would have heard from him. In the pressure and rush of the past week, she had actually managed to forget about Takashi's prisoner. "No, I have not heard from him. Which, for the moment, I take as a good thing. Having him meet Captain Gelcide would be... unpleasant. I do not imagine getting information out of that prisoner will be easy, even for Takashi. He was a warrior, before Sarah's death, not an interrogator. I do hope to hear from him soon, but not until after Captain Gelcide has left."

"Agreed, but..." Signum shrugged after a moment, "I do not like having him this closely involved in events around us at all, but since he is, I do wish he would keep in closer contact."

"Takashi has become a solitary man, Signum," Hayate commented, thinking aloud, "a... 'lone wolf', I believe the Americans call it? He does not think in terms of teams and superiors, he thinks in terms of doing things himself. Once the Captain is gone, I will try to contact him, but I do not know if he will act before consulting me or not."

"He did promise to deliver the prisoner to you once he was done."

"But done with what? Yet another thing to worry over."

"I'm sorry, Mistress," Signum said, touching her shoulder lightly, "I had not meant for that, but... best to focus on Africa, now. Accomplish what we may, and deal with the future as it arrives."

------------------------------

"So, any idea why Signum-sensei disappeared out of class today?"

"I have no idea, Laura, and I doubt they will tell us anytime soon," Noriko replied. "It really is none of our business."

"Oh, come one," Laura wheedled, leaning forward and twisting so she intruded into the other girl's line of sight, "You must have some sort of theory. Everyone else does."

Noriko shook her head resignedly, before replying, "I theorize that our teachers do more than just teach, and don't want us to become involved. Not surprising, really – as little as we know we would be far more hindrance than help."

"But _what _are they doing? Building massive mage-weapons like El Capitan seems to think? Or out saving the universe from some horrible alien invader? Me, I like 'escaping to an exotic beach for some time off' theory, but I can't picture Hayate-sensei going off on vacation without taking the rest of the teachers." She stopped a couple steps later, looking back at her friend who was now just standing in the hall, giving her a look Laura usually saw at home. _What'd Mom do, send instructions on how to do that?_

"Laura. We are on our way to meet with Yussef and Allina regarding potentially illegal activities, certainly dangerous ones, including what could probably be termed grand larceny, and you want to trade fantasies about what our teachers do off campus." She paused for a second, just maintaining that 'don't be childish' look, "Can we please focus?"

"But I am focused! On interesting things. The designs are done, now it's just the mechanics of putting it all together." She really could not understand Noriko's concern. She practically grew up in a machine-shop, so this territory was as familiar to her as Japanese manners were to Noriko. The hard part was done, now it was just a matter of putting things together, and maybe fudging a couple bits until they fit.

"And what if our designs are flawed? What if something does not work, or works differently than expected?"

Laura just shrugged, "Measure twice, cut once. Daddy's always yelling at my brother and me for that. The design's're fine, they'll work."

"Says the girl who's never done more than touch one." Noriko frowned at her, then resumed walking down the hall. "You'll have to forgive the rest of us if we worry," she continued, "but we lack your sublime indifference to mortal peril."

"I'm not... whatever the hell you just said," Laura countered, "I know danger when I see it, that's half the fun."

"I'm surprised you're still alive, then. Seriously, Laura, I like you, but I do not understand how you can be so care-free about your stunts."

Laura just shrugged again, grinning this time, "Eh, I've got an 'unusually advanced degree of ability at risk assessment and mitigation.' My last school had us all take these psych exams every year. You know, talking your head off to some stiff in a suit thinks he's gonna get to know you just from asking silly questions? Said a lot of stuff 'bout me when it was over, but Daddy broke up laughing when he read that one." She shrugged again, "I always just kinda know how far I can push things. Not always right, but who can claim that?"

"I'm sure the exam said some less flattering things as well. But again, focus please. We're here."

Laura held back to let Noriko trigger the locks, since she still occasionally had trouble with them, then gave her friend a flamboyant bow, and preceded her into the room, feeling the cut-off of background magic as the workroom's shield re-engaged when Noriko closed the door behind them.

The room beyond was at the back end of the building, one of the mid-size workrooms. In fact, it was the least used, both of its size and of all the workrooms. Not nearly as large as the main room, where Lotte-sensei taught them, nor as small as the two-person rooms that constituted the majority of the workrooms, this one was for projects and small-group lessons. Which made it doubly appropriate now, as Yussef and Allina were already waiting, by a partially-sorted stack of small containers. Most of them were still on a hand-cart, but a few had been spread over a pair of tables extended out of the walls. Laura could feel the excitement of the moment start to bubble up, and her hands were itching to get a hold of those parts.

"Come on," Allina said without looking up, "drag over and lend a hand." She pointed to a stack of paper on top of the containers, "your parts lists are there, find what you need and put all the extras in the corner. We'll need 'em for spares when you guys break something trying to make it fit."

The abruptness was a bit much, and Laura really wanted to reply to it, but Noriko stepped up before she could formulate a proper reply, and pushed her towards the stack of parts before she could formulate an adequate response. "Just work, Laura. Getting mad at Allina for being abrupt is about as intelligent and useful as getting mad at you for being hyper."

_True enough,_ Laura thought, chuckling at the comment. It took very little effort on her part to forget Allina's brusque personality, however, as the pile of containers was still the center of her attention.

Sorting out the parts took rather longer than Laura expected, as there were quite a bit _more _of them than she expected. Even creating the entire design herself had not truly prepared her for just how complicated the devices were going to be, and how many different components were involved, each with specific functions and limits, each with its own quirks, foibles and requirements to be accommodated. When they finished, there was a very small stack in the back of the room, and she was mildly embarrassed at the size of the three 'in use' piles. Only Yussef's appeared to be of a reasonable size, being significantly smaller than her own assemblage, which was itself visibly smaller than Noriko's.

"Right, these should be all the bits and pieces you need," Allina told them, looking back and forth between the piles, more than at her audience. "Noriko, that containment system you wanted isn't in there, but everything else to hold it and work around the fact that it's missing _is_ in there. You're going to have to get it from Hayate-sensei, there's no way I can snitch one. The only spare on campus is stored in their house up on the hill. Laura, your cartridge system's in the pile, but I think you'll have to make your own cartridges, once it's assembled. Seems those things aren't necessarily interchangeable between devices, calibration issue, if I'm understanding the books right. Other than that, good luck, good night, and don't you dare mention my name when they catch you." She was out the door almost before she finished.

The three of them worked in silence for a while, sorting out their randomized piles into ordered stacks, as much familiarizing themselves with the parts as organizing them. Laura separated her pile out, and settled back to just look them over for a moment, feeling the incredible excitement at the thought that she would soon have her very own device. The excitement almost boiled over into maniacal laughter, but something else occurred to her, causing to almost sober up completely.

"Oh my God," she whispered, staring at the parts, as the excitement gave way to another feeling that she was definitely not used to – shock.

The other two looked at her, then Yussef asked, "What? Something wrong? Missing?"

"It just hit me... what we're doing," she said, leaning heavily on the table, still staring blankly at the parts in front of her.

"We're building devices," he said, confusion warring with derision in his voice, "obviously."

"No," Noriko said, shaking her head, "that's not what she means."

"We're seizing power, Yu-chan," Laura explained slowly. "We're going to become just what Cid-chan's uncle fears, what those twits who tried to kidnap me fear. We're going to become dangerous... to everyone."

Noriko nodded, but Yussef still looked faintly confused, so she looked up at him and continued, "We are going to become such massive targets, even if this doesn't work. This isn't some essay on what we'd like to do when we're older, Yussef. We're deciding right now. If we do this, that's it. We're mages, until the day we die. We'll never be able to stop, because even if we try, someone will try to make us keep going. Even if only to protect ourselves, we're going to have to follow through on this." Noriko spread her hands to indicate the entire pile of parts, "This is _our whole life_."

For a few seconds, as Yussef stared back and forth between the two of them, finally understanding, and the three of them let the silence fill the room, feeling the heavy potential of it, of knowing what the rest of her life would be like. Then Laura could no longer control herself, and smiled widely, "I'm gonna give my brother so much shit for this. He _still_ doesn't know what he wants to do with the rest of his life, and he's already a Marine!" She added in a sing-song, "I'm more mature than he is! Hah!"

Noriko sighed at her joke, but at least smiled. Yussef just muttered something unintelligible in Arabic and glared at her. "All right Miss genius," he demanded a moment later in Japanese, "what do we start with?"

She grinned at him a second longer, then shrugged. "The Processor Core Assembly, _obviously_." She put a Valley twist on that one trying to get him riled. He just stood there, waiting, which was annoying, so she continued, "the PCA'll calibrate everything else as we attach it, but we have to build that ourselves. And program it, at least initially. As we add things to it, it'll get smarter, until it starts thinking for itself, in a stupid sorta way. I figure, your's 'n' mine'll be about half done when it reaches that stage, Noriko's'll start about a third of the way done. 'Cause her design's so fiendishly complicated, and she's arrogant and power-hungry like that."

"I am not power hungry," Noriko declared, "and I would argue the 'arrogant' part, too, if I were not more concerned with getting started before one of the teachers comes looking for us."

Yussef grunted something that might have been a chuckle, then asked, "These won't take on the final form until their finished, though, right? I don't see any sword blades lying around, after all."

"Yeah, the final form's dictated by the user's will," Laura answered. "Once the device is complete and has a starter charge, we initialize it. That will form the link between it and us, and give it its base form and us our armor. That should also create the sub-space fold where most of the components will exist, nicely out of the way but still usable."

"I did not think there were this many parts in any of our teachers' devices," Noriko said, "but the design documents were clear."

"Yeah, well, channeling this much energy's going to require more than a couple bits of metal," Laura commented. "Signum told me that, with all the modifications she's made over the years, Levantine's underlying mechanics weigh in at something like a quarter ton. Where do you think all the links for the 'snake form' come from?"

The other two blinked at her for a second, then Noriko asked, "Ano... what snake form?"

Laura twitched, then chuckled weakly, "Ah... ha... I forgot... she didn't show that one in any of the classes, did she?"

"No," Noriko agreed slowly, "No she did not. What does it do?"

"Umm, not sure I should tell you, actually," Laura babbled out quickly, then half-shouted, "Moving on! We start with the PCA, which is these..." she began shuffling through her stack of containers, rattling off instructions as she went. _Scary or not, this is going to be so cool,_ she thought, pulling the first pieces out of their protective cases, _so bloody cool._

------------------------------

When the wavering light of the teleport cleared, Hayate and Signum found themselves standing in a brightly lit street under a pitch-black sky. The coordinates they had been provided were near the edge of a rather substantial police cordon surrounding a collapsed building. Despite the fact that it was closer to midnight than dawn, there was a substantial but surprisingly well-behaved crowd of people gathered at the ring of saw-horses and parked police cars, conversations creating a constant murmur, and off to one side she could see several television crews gathered. Within the cordon, a number of police officers were standing around in clusters, muttering amongst themselves as they cast suspicious glances both at the building, and at her.

One of the clusters broke apart moments after their appearance, and a pair of men in poorly-fitting suits resolved out of it, one dark and one pale. The older looking gentlemen extended his hand, "Miss Yagami? I am Detective Xola Radebe this is my partner, Jan Van Rieebeck. We're technically in charge of the site as of about three hours ago."

Hayate returned his gesture, "an honor to meet you, detectives. This is the leader my knights, Signum. Thank you for allowing us to participate in the investigations."

"We didn't have much choice," Radebe replied with a grimace, "Higher ups ordered us not to enter the rubble until after 'competent experts' arrived, and the 'expert' they sent said he wasn't going to touch this until after you arrived."

"Do not take those orders as an insult, Detective," Signum told him, standing a little to one side, attention focused on the collapsed building before them. "Whatever happened here involved a tremendous energy release. There is enough residual power at the event point to harm those unprotected. Better safe than dead."

Hayate glanced at her, then focused on the rubble herself, stretching her senses wide through the Sword of Light. "Signum? How bad is it?"

"Far from bad, but far from good. We can clean this up fairly easily, but I imagine we should study it, first, to determine precisely what happened."

"Agreed," Hayate said, thinking for a moment. She found the event point easily, a queasy mess of energies warped by a spell gone wrong, and knew that Signum was right. Any of them could clean it up in a matter of minutes, simply smoothing out the local distortions and draining away the excess energies. But they were not here for mere clean-up. The local authorities would want to know what had happened, and so did she. It was entirely possible that this had been the site of another attempt to breach her school's defenses, so information on the event's cause was of paramount importance.

She pulled Reinforce from the sling on her back, and held it out, summoning her physical form, which caused the detectives to flinch back in surprise, and drew shocked silence from those near enough to notice. "Reinforce, please begin work clearing the wreckage. Focus on survivors and on leaving the event-site undisturbed, please. I can sense two survivors from here, but there could be more."

Reinforce's holographic form nodded, "Of course, Mistress." A moment later, on black wings, she was flying over the rubble, tendrils of energy stretching forth to begin lifting pieces out of the way.

Hayate watched her for a moment, then turned, "Signum, please secure the site, make sure there are no mages trying to interfere and that whatever we do will not disturb the bystanders any more than necessary. I'm not really worried, but better to be safe."

"Of course, Mistress," Signum replied, drawing Levantine with a flourishing salute. She was armored in a flash, then spiraling upwards.

"You're quick to move," Van Rieebeck commented. "Wouldn't you rather get a little more information before you dive in?"

"I have dealt with far more complicated crises than this, Detective, but I do intend to have more information," she replied, then turned her attention back to Radebe. "You mentioned an expert, Detective. Is he or she still here? I would like to speak to them before we begin regressing the site."

Radebe nodded, "He's over here, and he's the one who's _actually _in charge of the site. Won't get any closer, though. Says the whole area is polluted."

The two detectives lead her to the one car that was not a police vehicle, a large, somewhat long, but nondescript sedan. All four doors opened as she approached, and a quartet of very large men stepped out, all of them dressed in far-better-fitting suits than the two detectives, all sporting stone-faced expressions beneath dark glasses. If they had not obviously been skilled and serious bodyguards, dividing the entire scene into discrete watch zones without a word, she would have found the effect comical. Only one left that protective circle, the man who stepped out of the rear passenger side door, stepped forward, clasping his hands in the small of his back and he stared down at her.

She returned the look calmly, waiting for him to make the first move, and after a moment, he nodded slowly. He turned halfway, extending one arm towards the car. "He'll see you, now, ma'am."

She nodded in turn, and started towards the car before noticing the shocked looks on the two detectives' faces. "Detectives? What is wrong?"

"You're a woman," Radebe said after a moment, "and a foreigner. Sons of his clan have to prove their worth for the least audience, but just like that..."

"I am not trying to give offense, Detective..."

He shook his head, and made a shooing gesture, "no offense, ma'am, just surprise. You shouldn't keep him waiting. He's not used to that."

That comment made her nervous, but she sank into the car anyhow, turning to settle into the back seat. There was another seat in the back, facing rearwards, and there she found the mysterious 'expert'. He was plainly an old man, dark skin going dusty atop deep wrinkles, wiry hair gone gray, gnarled hands cupped atop a staff. Only his eyes were not old, staring at her over his hands, shining with reflected light, steady and deep. His gaze was almost as reassuringly calm as the sense of steady old magic that permeated him.

She gave him a polite bow, awkward from the seated position, but possible, and decided to hope he spoke English as well as the detectives had. "An honor to meet you, sir."

He scoffed slightly, "You haven't, yet, girl. Don't be presumptuous."

That set her back slightly, but his eyes remained steady on her, and she could practically feel him testing her. "But this is a meeting, even if no names have been exchanged. Thus, I am correct, not presumptuous."

Another snort, "Sophistry. Without introductions, there is no meeting, without names no one can know with whom they are dealing. I know of you, Hayate Yagami, but you do not know me."

She cocked her head slightly, feeling more curious than insulted by his attitude. He was doing a credible imitation of a curmudgeonly old man, but there was a sense of... amusement... about him, even though he was most definitely not smiling. "I would like to know you, sir. You are obviously both skilled and experienced..."

"Powerful? You respect that, don't you, girl? Someone strong enough to put you in your place?"

She sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes slightly, not quite glaring back at him. "You are skilled and experienced, sir. Anyone can see that from the tight rein under which you keep your personal energies." She relaxed her own control slightly, letting the vibrant energy she could call upon so easily fill the car's passenger compartment. His eyes widened slightly, and it was his turn to straighten, as she informed him, "But you are not _powerful_, you are not strong enough to do more than inconvenience me." She reigned in her strength again, gave him a polite smile, and offered, "Now, can we please at least be polite? I am here, apparently, at your invitation, after all."

He chuckled at that, a dry rasping sound, and leaned back in his seat. "This is nothing," he said with a gesture of his head. "I can fix it in a matter of hours, you could no doubt do it faster. But it gives me several opportunities, and you do not get to be as old as I am, in this career, in this country, without seizing on every opportunity that even looks like it is coming your way. Do you care to hazard a guess at what those opportunities are?"

"One would be to meet and evaluate me," she said, turning the matter over in her mind. She had encountered this sort of thing in her work with the Bureau, though rather rarely. Local mages who wanted to evaluate the Bureau, or Bureau mages who had heard of her and wanted to see if the legends were true without actually fighting her. "Another could be to test our reaction time. If your evaluation is favorable, perhaps you hope to forge some sort of direct relationship with us in hopes of giving your country or clan an advantage. Other than that, I am afraid I do not think in such terms, so..." She shrugged.

"Don't lie to me, girl," he snapped. "You think in these terms every day. You have to, with your strength. Did you know I can feel it when you walk? Your very steps cause the world to shiver. You say I have no power, but I am intimately connected with my world, with my planet, and I can feel every step you take upon her. That sort of strength... you are not a dictator, which means you use that strength sparingly, carefully, subtly. You can only do that if you see and seize opportunities others miss." He glared at her for a second longer, then waved a hand slightly, "eh, you'll figure it out eventually, child, even if you don't understand now. I can also use this as an example, for my apprentices and those of my brethren, of what not to do, of the consequences of over-reaching. Kids today! Always trying to go further, faster. I can also ask you a few burning questions, and maybe even get some answers." He grinned, chuckled for a moment, then added, "and most important of all, I get to have a conversation with a pretty girl. How could I maintain my reputation as a lecherous old coot, if I let that sort of opportunity slip by?"

There was no threat in his statement, just amusement, so she let it slide, focusing on the rest of what he said. "What questions did you have?"

"Oh, this and that, this and that. Why you took no students from Africa, for instance. You understand, I do not include those slave-trading bastards on the Mediterranean when I speak of Africa. I would have fought your attempts to recruit here, mind you, but am curious why there was no attempt?"

She debated that for a moment, almost deciding to lie and tell him she had not wanted to deal with the obstructionism of him and his peers. But... she had not actually realized they were here, or that they might object to her taking a student or two. At the same time, she was unwilling to risk exposing her one African student to any possible reprisals. So she told him an almost truth, "There was no one in Africa who met all our criteria." Technically true, there had been several children, but they had only approached one. "We were only willing to take a small group, we had intended smaller than we got, so we chose first from amongst the strongest potential students we could find. After strength, we looked for... call it intelligence, though wisdom works as well. The mental flexibility to absorb new knowledge and adapt to new ways. Above both of those, we required an honesty of spirit that would not use what we teach for evil or dangerous ends. No one in Africa met the requirements as well as those we did invite."

"You are saying Africa is lacking in talent?"

She shook her head, "I am saying no one in Africa met all our requirements as well as those we issued invitations to. There are those who had the strength, those who had the flexibility, the intelligence, the honesty. But none had them in combination sufficient to match our current students. The second wave would have included invitations to African students, but as you object, we will refrain."

"Oh, don't do that. Feel free to extend the invitations," he countered, chuckling slightly. "Haven't had a good dust-up in a while, might be fun! You prove we can trust you, that you're students really are just that, and I'll think about sending some of our kids your way. If I knew who was probing your school, what would you do to get that information?"

The non-sequitor froze her in place for a moment, staring at him. For a horrible, horrible second, she thought he was the source of the attacks, the kidnapping attempts, the danger. But that idea vanished as an instant probe tested his magic, and found it different from her enemy's. Still, the question angered her, and her voice was rather cold as she told him, "That is a dangerous game, sir. I do not 'play' where my students' safety is concerned. If you have information, I will barter for it, or purchase it, both at a fair price. But if you do have information, and something happens to one of my children because you set too high a price, I will return for that information."

"Calmly, girl, there is no game. I ask you a serious question. How far would you go for information concerning who is attacking your school?"

"They are a threat to my family and my students," she replied evenly, "I will go as far as I must. I have given our one prisoner over to a man I know intends to torture him. I was prepared to do it myself." Truth, if slightly stretched. She was not sure she had been rational enough beneath her temper, at that point, to question the man, or if she would have killed him outright. But torture had definitely been within her capabilities at that time. "But I would have to ask what your price for this information would be?"

He studied her for a second, still apparently amused but definitely serious. "This one will be free, I think. You are a foreigner, and I do not trust you, but you are least a human being. People can sometimes be trusted, organizations cannot. So, I would prefer to see you succeed, rather than them. I do not know who is attacking you, but I do know they are not from Africa, nor from Australia, nor from amongst the first peoples of America. Their methods are hermetic in nature, not shamanic. Logical, hierarchical," his lips twisted slightly, and he sneered one last word, "_scientific_. Their approach will be methodical, static, following a set plan with little room for spontaneity or flexibility. You understand?"

For a moment, she thought he was telling her nothing new. They had already determined the style and feel of the attacker's magic, and most of their modifications to the school's defenses were based on that systematic style. But as she processed that information, thinking it over, she realized that he really was telling her something new. _If he's right, __he's eliminated half the world in one go,_ she thought. _Maybe America, more likely Europe or Asia. We already knew they were Asian, but if he's right, all the shamanic and religious methods are no concern, which eliminates southeast Asia and Japan, most of eastern Russia... he just cut our search area drastically. And if he's right about their style, how rigid they will be... we can work on that, throw odd defenses in their way..._ "I cannot thank you enough for that, sir."

"Oh, you'll earn it, miss. For the moment, however, I'm getting tired, and you have a mess to clean up. Go to work, little girl, and don't disappoint me. I so hate having my low opinion of humanity proven."

Hayate wanted to ask more questions, but recognized that he would be far more trouble than he was worth to try and get information from. So she bowed again, surprised when he returned the gesture, and opened the door. Once outside, she closed the door, nodded once to the bodyguard, and began slowly walking towards the collapsed building.

Reinforce was still flying overhead, streams of wreckage flying to discrete piles, where crews were already piling it into dump trucks for disposal. There were three people laid out next to the ambulances being tended to by paramedics, for which she was glad. Signum stood nearby, a small cluster of police to one side of her, as if wanting to ask her questions but unwilling to brave her severe demeanor and crossed arms.

"No threats," Signum told her without looking around. "Three minor mages, drawn by the event, none as strong as the one you just spoke with. Any news?"

"Yes," Hayate replied, "but not relevant to this." _We need to re-work our new ward plans again,_ she sent telepathically, _and put together a new search pattern. We'll discuss it with the others when we get home again._ "What can you tell me about this?"

"Reinforce and I have been contemplating this. It appears your initial opinion was correct. Some foolish children attempted a short-range teleport with insufficient power to complete it, and no clear idea of where they were going. The resultant half-complete spell drained them completely, then descended into instability until it collapsed. The resultant release of energy compromised the building and it collapsed. Fortunately, there were only seven people in the building, the three over there who lived in apartments above ground, and the four who performed the ritual in the basement. Also fortunately, there was not enough energy assembled to cause a true dimensional dislocation, merely a localized disturbance."

That was a depressing thought. Four mages who had been intelligent enough to put together a potential teleport, but wasted that intelligence over-reaching themselves. "Remind me to warn the children again about trying higher level magics before we clear them to. I do not want anything even close to this happening at the school."

"It won't," Signum assured her, "the only ones likely to try something like this are already working on the devices that will let them pull it off, ne?"

Hayate smiled at that thought, feeling a thrill of pride at her student's ability to exceed her expectations. "Maybe, but for now, let's clean this up and go home. We have plans to make, and I do not want to leave Gelcide unsupervised for too long."

------------------------------

The room was so nondescript as to be perfectly normal anywhere in the world. Institutional beige walls, white anechoic ceiling tiles, fake-wood hollow-core door with a small window, whiteboards on every wall and suspended on rolling racks all covered in notations. Even the man standing in front of one would have fit everywhere or anywhere, long white lab-coat, business pants and shirt, glasses, a pocket full of pens.

The other man in the room would not have fit anywhere. He was wearing what at first appeared to be a military uniform, stiffly cut, covered in rank tabs, decorations, medals and insignia. Overlying that, contrasting sharply with the military feel, was a heavy cloak, and a jewel-bedecked sword hung at his hip. He was standing stiffly near the door, watching the other man with exaggerated patience. After several minutes of waiting, he spoke, "Doctor? What is your status?"

The man in the lab coat twitched, then looked over in surprise. "Master-Adept? I'm sorry, I didn't notice you coming in."

The Master-Adept glared at him for a second, visibly restraining his temper. The Doctor had greeted him politely enough when he entered, if distractedly. But the Doctor was one of the most creative minds he knew, so he settled for repeating, "What is your status, Doctor? Will this work?"

"Oh, it should. It most definitely should. Our off-world contact was quite confident this was everything that odd little 'time-space'... whatever... had on these phenomena. Certainly it was enough information to generate one. Whether this will hold the Yagami woman or not," he shrugged, turning back to the board he had been studying. "Her magic is a strange one, even stranger than that used by her AI programs. Even our contact can't provide us with any more information on that subject. As for how you are going to get her within the area of effect... well, that is a tactical question, better left to our more militant comrades. As for the devices, the engine... if the components are arrayed precisely as diagrammed, and are not damaged in transit or during assembly... yes, it will work. At least once. I am uncertain if the components will be recoverable, or not."

The Master-Adept nodded, appreciating the honesty, even if he did recognize someone covering themselves against failure. He had seen too many of the Doctor's other designs come off perfectly to doubt the man now. "Excellent. Time to construct the components?"

"I'll have to build the more esoteric parts myself, you understand, and they require a great deal of precision. If I have no failures, two months. If, as I expect, it takes me several attempts to make a working version, and the assembly workers manage their average rate of error... three months, fifteen weeks at the outside."

"Hmm, take your time. We have yet to select a place to utilize your new engine, and once we have, we will need to prepare it, so you have time to make sure this functions properly."

"Not too much time," the Doctor ordered, "those poor children will be completely lost if we wait too long. It would be a shame to waste their potential."

"We have time in hand," the Master-Adept repeated, "time to do this properly. Four months will give us time for a second attempt, if the first fails."

-----------------------------

Kell Shock: Thank you for reading both stories, and yeah, this thing keeps getting more involved. My original outline had it finishing w/ Chapter 10!

Stormturmoil: Yes, I got the PM, but I'm still debating my reply. You will get one, I promise, but not until I'm comfortable it'll be coherent & appropriate, which should be before next chapter's posted. As to this review, here you go. The Bureau's willingness to involve itself where it technically should not (and the glimpse of its internal politics shown so far) will play a part in the future. As to which side that involvement will be on, that's a question. I wasn't sure about including that scene with Cidela's uncle, it originally was going to be 'off camera', but he has further parts to play later, so I decided to intro him first. Thanks for the reminder about the prisoner, by the by – I'd actually managed to forget about him in sketching out the aftermath of the kidnapping attempt! Oops. Regarding the manga – I never saw them until I started in on chapter four or five of this story, so I'm going strictly by the anime, which never made any mention of a 'no weapons' rule. Thank you for the reviews!

CrimsonDX: I'm actually less than pleased with RotG, I got too ambitious too early. I've got all the characters sketched out, I'm afraid, and I've never been much of a team player – too much of a control-freak:). As for Laura's powers, they're complicated, just... complicated. Sorry!

Eni Li'Nave: You're not alone in the issues with technology! Took me four tries to get FFN to take the last chapter. Vita's a possible master for Mariachi, I'll grant, but I haven't actually decided to give her a 'personal apprentice' yet (or Zafira, Aria or Lotte). Signum & Laura, and Shamal & Cidela, just sorta clicked in my head from the get-go. Hayate & Noriko is a growing possibility, but I'm still not sure what reason Hayate would have to teach anyone Deva magic yet. Nobody's going to be swearing fealty to Noriko any time soon, but the trio & Cidela really have become a 'Wolkenritter-redux'. I'm going to have to fix that (they weren't supposed to be, dammit!). Gelcide's not finished, though his presence is really a side-matter & set-up for later. Noriko's definitely coming along faster than most of her classmates. I've got all three of the student's devices set in my head, and I'm probably going to get razzed for Laura's, when I finally reveal it:), it's a bit of a personal joke.

Sheo Darren: Thank you for the compliments. I usually start feeling like I'm being heavy-handed in the major conversations like last chapter & this one, but they're so much fun. Where else will the sarcasm and insults go?

Akarum: thank you for reading, and reviewing. I'll admit, I started this to explore my own OC ideas, so the kids are definitely getting the lion's share of the attention. I'm trying to keep them all unique, though a couple of them keep blending together in my head.


	13. 13 Unpleasant News

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 13 – Unpleasant News -

Despite the fact that most of the class could manage enough control, by the end of the first month of classes, to open the main workroom, it was still unusual for Lotte-sensei not to be waiting for them. Normally, she was the first person there when they got out of Hayate-sensei's class. So when Toushiro opened the door to find no one in the room, he hesitated in confusion.

"Where's Lotte-sensei?" He looked back over his shoulder, but neither Ichigo nor Marcel behind him showed any greater knowledge than he had. In the face of their shrugs, he added one of his own and proceeded into the workroom to wait. Better there than out in the hall, where she might be able to ambush him again as she had the first day.

The others trickled in behind him, and as usual when given an un-defined period of free time, settled in to discussing whatever their favorite current predicament happened to be. At present, it was Captain Gelcide and his unwelcome attempts to, as Noriko had put it, 'frame our teachers for someone else's crimes'. While he was usually one to laugh at conspiracy theories, given how ridiculously complex they always seemed to be, he had to admit that Noriko's theory was the most accurate of all those they had floated about. Certainly, neither he nor any of his classmates believed for a moment that the Captain's presence was 'strictly a routine inquiry' as Hayate-sensei had told them. No doubt she was trying to keep them from worrying, but she was not a very good liar.

Gelcide had stopped trying to ask any of them questions, though they had still seen him prowling about the Library. So the debate that afternoon focused on whether he was done, coming up with some trick to get one of them to talk, or if he was finished and just hanging around to bring the hammer down. They had not gotten very far in the debate when the door opened, and Lotte-sensei stuck her head in the door. "Hey, kids, you're in the wrong room! Since you've all been extra-special good this past week," she said in a false-sweet tone, grinning at them with glittering eyes, "I get to give you all the reward you so richly deserve. Next room down, kids, everything's ready and waiting."

Curious, and more than a little cautious given her tone and obvious amusement at their expense, they filed out of the main workroom and followed her steps down the hall. She was holding the door open, still smiling at them, waving them all inside. "Come on, kids, don't be afraid. I promise not to hurt you anymore than your parents would like."

"That's not very reassuring, Lotte-sensei," Toushiro muttered as he walked past her.

She chuckled and flicked his ear, "I'm hurt you don't trust me, Shiro-kun, after all I've done to make you feel safe."

He started to reply, then remembered what happened every time he got into an argument with Lotte-sensei… he lost, and her idea of 'just forfeit' for losing any sort of sparring match was… embarrassing. So he settled for issuing a long-suffering sigh, and heading into the smaller workroom. Only to almost trip, as the floor was both a good four centimeters higher than in the hall, and gave weirdly under his foot. It took him only two steps to realize that, not only was the floor heavily padded, but so were the walls and even the _ceiling_. Seeing confused looks on his classmates' faces, he asked, "What the heck's all this for?"

"Well," Lotte explained, pulling the door closed behind her, "since you kids have demonstrated such great energy in your efforts to muddle the wits of poor, unsuspecting Captain Gelcide, I figure you have all the extra energy you'll need for today's lesson. It will take a lot of energy, you see, but I'm confident in you. After all, you've all produced enough hot air trying to scam the honest, trusting Captain, I'm surprised none of you have gone airborne just from that."

That took a second to sink in, but Toushiro was quick. Typically, Laura was quicker, practically screaming, "We're learning to _fly_?! Today?! _Sweet_!"

Lotte-sensei was shaking her head though. "No, Laura-chan. I'm not going to teach _you_ to _fly_. Flying requires skill, focus, control and discipline. So, Noriko and Yussef, Natalia, most of the rest of the class will be learning to fly today. _You_, Laura-chan… you I am going to teach how to _crash_."

Laura frowned back while most everyone else chuckled. _Only good thing about Laura's sense of humor,_ Toushiro thought, studying the American girl for a moment, _she doesn't get mad when she's the butt of a joke._ Sure, Laura would get even, but she had yet to display the sort of viciousness he was used to seeing matched with such energetically inventive people.

"I bet Yu-chan crashes before I do!"

_Then again,_ he continued, _there's her habit of dragging others into the bulls-eye with her._

Lotte-sensei cut short the incipient argument by snapping her fingers. "Children. Keep arguing and I'll make you sit out in the hall today. That'd be boring, ne?" She got a collection of nods, from more than just the two arguing students, then continued, "Now, in all seriousness, today's lesson is, in a way, the most dangerous we have undertaken so far. Flight requires quite a lot of power, combined with precise control and intuitive adaptability. You have to power the spell continuously, control it so you do not go flying all over creation, but also balance for other forces acting upon you.

"There are several methods of magically generating a flight effect. The simplest is one I know Ichigo and Noah have already tried – creating a platform on which to stand, and moving that about. It works, but is slow and not particularly maneuverable, so it's generally only used as a substitute for direct telekinetic transportation.

"At the other end of the spectrum are those like Hayate-sama, who create actual wings, and use those to interface directly with the local environment to generate flight effects. On the good side, the method tends to be more efficient and allows for easier intuitive control. On the down side, the mage is limited to obeying mundane laws of physics and the like. For instance, Hayate-sama cannot hover, using her most common flight spell.

"What I am going to show you here today is the standard method used by the Bureau. It involves, essentially, gravitational manipulation on a personal scale." She started drifting away from the door, floating up slowly as she moved towards the center of the room. "This method is not just a compromise between the two extremes, but it does provide practical advantages that make it the preferable method of achieving magical flight. It allows high maneuverability," she rolled through a backwards loop, changing direction halfway through so she was lying on her side relative to the class when she faced them again, "but stability is not sacrificed. When done properly, you are essentially in a state of perpetual but controlled free-fall.

"The downside to this is the amount of power necessary. While not much, compared to what you are all capable of _channeling_, it is much more than any of you have yet _controlled_. In fact, the amount of energy required for this method of flight is right at the edge of being dangerous. You've all been warned about channeling too much power, how it can burn you out? This lesson will put you very close to that edge. So, we are going to be very careful today, and tomorrow when we continue this lesson, and make sure that none of you experience any such problems."

Toushiro thought that lecture over carefully. It was the longest one Lotte-sensei had ever given them, and the first time he could recall her sounding so serious. She almost sounded worried, though he found that difficult to reconcile with what he knew of her. Still, he knew that she was right, that in his own experiments with Noah and Ichigo he had pushed to the ragged edge of his control once. It had been a strange experience, feeling the power surging within him, but simultaneously being aware that any more would be beyond his control. If they were going near to that level again... he was perfectly willing to take things slowly.

------------------------------

"I must say, I'm surprised you did not teach them that skill sooner," Captain Gelcide remarked, leaning back in his chair. He was currently seated at one of the common tables in the library, but turned sideways, leaning back with his legs outstretched, watching a large monitor floating in the air.

Hayate was seated at a neighboring table, Signum with her, taking advantage of the library's more powerful computers to run detailed analyses of both the intruders' attacks, and her planned new defenses. She looked up, and found the large monitor tuned to the workroom where Lotte-sensei was now teaching the children the basics of flight. At present, it was still a concentration and control exercise, gathering and focusing the energy, but Hayate knew what Gelcide was actually asking.

"It was a matter of safety, on several levels," she replied. "Most obviously, without a device to regulate the energies necessary, there is a high risk of one of them accidentally burning themselves out. I'm not too concerned, any longer. They all have solid control, know their own strength, and are smart enough not to hurt themselves. The greater reason by far was... minimizing their opportunities for mischief."

"Which plan was less than successful," Signum remarked. "They have proven quite able to get into mischief even without being able to fly."

"Ah, but they've only been able to do it here," Hayate countered with a small smile, "Where we can keep an eye on them. Now, we are confident enough they won't wander, and have wrapped them in enough wards that they cannot sneeze without one of us checking on them."

Gelcide gave her an amused glance, before turning back to the screen. A moment later, his face turned thoughtful, and he asked, "I was looking for Asegawa-san the other day, but was unable to locate her. Would you have any idea where she was?"

That got Hayate's full attention, and quelled her amusement. She had come to trust Gelcide a little since his arrival, but still… "You were going to question her alone? We told you, you must always have one of us present..."

Gelcide gestured calmingly, "No, Yagami-san, I was not looking for her by myself. Zafira was with me, and also unable to locate her. I was not even going to question her, so much as offer some advice. She was quite a bit better at orchestrating your students' obstructionism than I expected any of them to be, but there's room for improvement. I was going to give her some pointers," he gave her an amused look and added, "Since that part of her education appears to be sadly neglected, currently."

Hayate relaxed, shaking her head. "Oh, thank you so much," she replied with a touch of sarcasm, "but at least you weren't going to teach Laura how to be more trouble."

"No, Sims-san is quite a handful on her own, I'm sure. But, I'm still curious as to how they could evade detection by both Zafira and I. I'll admit you should be proud of how well they are doing, but they aren't good enough to hide from both of us without being off campus."

"Noriko was probably in one of the workrooms, if this was in the last three days," Signum explained. "Coincidentally enough, with Laura. And Yussef. The three of them are the best in the class, and are natural leaders, but ever since classes began they've been... quietly squabbling over relative authority. So we gave the three of them a special group project on teamwork. They're only allowed to ask each other for help and ideas, no one else. I'm afraid they've taken that directive further than I expected, and are keeping the entire thing a secret." She shrugged eloquently, dismissing that concern, and gave him one of her superior smiles, "I keep a general eye on them, but not too close. I don't want them to realize I'm watching, it might... inhibit their penchant for surprise."

"You're both trying to give me a heart attack, aren't you," Hayate complained, fixing her Sword Knight with a glare.

"Surprises keep you young, Mistress."

"No they don't," Hayate shot back, "but I suppose surprising me appeals to your sense of humor, doesn't it?" She sighed theatrically, "The things I endure for the sake of my family."

"Speaking of enduring," Gelcide drawled, turning to face them and resting his elbows on the table. "I have to say I've been impressed by how well you put up with my presence, but I think it's safe to say I've finished my investigations, Yagami-san." Hayate just nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "You understand, officially I cannot tell you anything of my findings until after my report has been submitted, reviewed, and released by Investigations. But I can tell you that you have nothing to worry about. I will see about having the original complaint and a copy of my report forwarded to you, once they are released, but that could take a few months. You know how slow the Bureau can be outside emergencies."

Gelcide's reassurance was surprisingly effective, and Hayate felt herself relax more completely than she had since being informed of the original complaint. Knowing that the Bureau would not be attempting to shut down her school or drag her back took a tremendous weight off her shoulders, one she had not really been aware of until it was gone. "Thank you, Captain," she said softly, "That is greatly reassuring."

He nodded, acknowledging as much what she did not say as what she did, but if anything his face became more serious. "I'm afraid I went a little beyond my official mission. I did some looking around at... local forces. I was, of course, not told who issued the complaint. But from the wording of it, I assume it must be someone local, and that worries me. What you are doing here, what you are _trying_ to do, is too important to this world's future for me to leave without informing you of my own observations. I've left a detailed report in your message queue, but there are a couple of points I feel the need to emphasize in person."

"I welcome your advice, Captain," Hayate told him with only a little reservation. "A fresh set of eyes could see something we've missed."

Gelcide nodded, "I hoped you would see it that way. One thing, I went to Kyoto, to the museum where Laura was attacked, to try and study the site and spell. Based on your description, Signum-san, and those of Sims-san and Akira..."

"Takashi," Hayate interrupted, frowning at him. "Akira is gone, erased. It was Takashi who rescued Laura."

Gelcide gave her a puzzled look, but nodded, "Apologies, _Takashi_'s report. The spell as described sounded familiar to me, and I found enough traces to be certain of it. Whoever tried to take Sims-san, they are very... determined. Fanatical, you might say. Manipulating time is, as I'm sure you know, rather difficult." Hayate nodded, thinking of her own Wall of Not spell, that was simple enough to cast, but could not be held for more than a couple of minutes, subjective time. "It requires a great deal of energy, precise control, and even then only limited, small-scale effect can be generated. The spell your enemy used is a variation of what many of the more... callous... civilizations come up with, before inventing devices, to get around the power requirements. There was a circle of casters, at least four, more probably five or six."

"We've seen them do that before," Signum told him, "each time we have found a site where they were working, there have been traces of multiple mages working in concert. Logical, from their standpoint. They cannot hope to match us singly for power."

Gelcide nodded, "Yes, it's a common tactic in non-device societies, and one I believe the Bureau should investigate. It would simplify dealing with the more dangerous lost logia if several weaker mages could combine their abilities... but, that's a debate for another time. What is relevant at the moment is that of those mages, at least one deliberately burned himself out to cast the spell."

The horror of that statement hit Hayate like a slap in the face. She could feel the blood draining out of her face as she stared at him in horror. She had not been kidding when she told Laura's parents she would rather be crippled again than loose her magic. She would rather be _dead_. To think that someone had done that to themselves willingly, for it was almost impossible to force a mage to burn herself out, was unbelievable. "You... you're certain?"

He nodded, "The traces were no longer fresh, but the scar from a burnout is always clear."

"And given the lack of a device to buffer him from his own power," Signum whispered, "he probably did not survive the experience. Why would anyone want to harm us so badly? We have done nothing deserving of such hatred."

"I do not know their reasons, but they feel they have them," Gelcide replied, shrugging helplessly. "To be honest, I do not want to know their reasons. The fact that, whoever they are, I am convinced they arranged this investigation, either to test you or gather information on you, is galling, both personally and professionally. I do not like being used for vendettas by anyone but me and mine. And the more I have learned of this enemy, little as it may be, the more convinced I am that they are the sort of creatures the Bureau was created to destroy. We cannot act openly here, not now, without an immediate crisis, but... I almost wish we could act preemptively.

"My first piece of advice is, beef up your security. While your defenses here are formidable, they won't stop a determined attacker, certainly not one who has already proven willing to take casualties for a small gain. I am uncertain if you can extend your defenses further, but at the least you should make them more... active."

"We already have plans in place, Captain," Signum replied, "in response to Kyoto. We were waiting for your departure to implement them, as the Deva wards Hayate-sama will be placing are... disturbing... to normal mages. We did not wish you to mistake them for the crime we have already been accused of."

He gave her a jaundiced look, "or you didn't want the Bureau knowing that you're using banned wards?" He grimaced, then shook his head, "I do not like it, but... I saw no evidence of such things while I was here, and even if I had, I trust none of you would use wards dangerous enough to _require_ Bureau intervention. And, unfortunately, your enemy now is severe enough to make those wards... palatable, if not pleasant."

"We do not take these steps lightly, Captain" Hayate said, trying to be reassuring, but once again focused entirely on the threat to her children, too focused to be anything _other_ than focused. "You had other advice, though?"

"Only one other suggestion. Move. Here, you are physically isolated, but not enough given the mages you're up against. The best place to be, off-world but still outside Bureau jurisdiction, would be in orbit. Difficult, I know, but it would give you total local control, zero risk of collateral casualties out to very long ranges, and make you very difficult to reach physically. The Bureau routinely disposes of surplus ships, those past their valid service lifetimes, after stripping them of sensitive equipment. You'll find them scattered all over as merchant ships, exploration vessels... space stations. I haven't any clue if one is available now, but between myself and the rest of Asura's Pride, if you're interested, we could probably find one."

"I'm not sure we could afford it," Hayate replied, "But it is an idea to consider. I'll ask Chrono to look into it for us. You are right about the security issues, but I was tired of living in space stations and artificial habitats. I should have been more practical."

"Hindsight is perfect, Mistress," Signum told her, "We had no cause to expect anything like this. None at all."

"Maybe, but it is still my job to do just that." She shook her head, waving the old argument aside, "It is something to look into, and something we had not thought of, Captain. Thank you, for that."

Gelcide shrugged slightly. "I'm afraid advice is all I can give. I have responsibilities of my own back in Hykon that I must return to. But if you need assistance, please contact me. I'm not sure how much I can offer, but what I can do, I will." He paused, chuckling slightly, "You know, when I was given this mission, I was warned by the head of Investigations herself, First Admiral Theonides, that you have a penchant for inspiring loyalty with ease in the even the most adversarial people. It appears I failed to heed that warning."

"It's called honesty, Captain," Signum explained, "Hayate-sama is never anything but honest, even when she's not."

"I'm not that special," Hayate protested, embarrassed, but this was also an old argument, if usually a friendly one. "I don't 'inspire loyalty', I'm just lucky in who I make friends with. Anyone could do the same. I think the fact that this enemy of mine is proving so difficult is proof that you're all overstating my ability to 'inspire loyalty'."  
"I'd argue just the opposite," Gelcide countered. "They're obviously afraid that if they talk to you, you'll convince them to, at the least, leave you alone. But, it's not my place to speak of it. Forgive me for mentioning it. On another subject, I was wondering if I might impose upon you for one more night? If I return in the morning, I should be able to make my report and get back to my ship tomorrow evening. Heavens know, I'd rather not spend a night in Headquarters' guest rooms."

"Not a problem, Captain," Hayate told him with an amuse smile. Headquarters' guest quarters were quite comfortable, but it was considered bad form to admit that. "You are welcome to join us for dinner as well, we'll be eating with the children tonight."

"You'll be welcome so long as you promise to refrain from giving Noriko advice on her obstructionism," Signum amplified.

Gelcide chuckled, but nodded his head, "not a problem, Signum-san. I'll send her some pointers once I'm safely back in Hykon."

------------------------------

"Laura, I realize you're head's permanently in the clouds, what with all the air in it, but do you think you could at least keep your _feet _on the ground? You've been floating for hours now, and it's getting aggravating."

"Ah, you're just jealous 'cause I can stay up longer than you, Yu-chan," Laura laughed back, twisting in mid air to drift along backwards ahead of him. "Come on, admit it. A girl's got more stamina than you and it drives you bonkers, doesn't it?"

Yussef caught his breath before he snapped back at her, and very carefully counted to ten, trying to ignore her as he continued walking across the quad. The truce the two of them had agreed on to work on their devices was holding well enough, but everywhere else, the two of them were still butting heads at every opportunity, and thanks to today's lesson, Laura was being particularly hyper. When he was sure he would not snap at her, he replied, "You haven't demonstrated greater stamina, Laura, only greater willingness to waste what energy you have."

"You're also proving him right," Natalia added in from a few steps back. "He's said all along that you're a flighty little airhead."

Laura frowned, then stuck out her tongue, "You're all just jealous. And lazy! Come one, let's go do something fun! Who's up for tag?"

"'Tag' would be fun if there was any speed involved, Laura-chan," Noriko said, "but none of us can manage more than a walking pace at present, and maybe three meters in altitude."

"And even Noriko can't manage the control for rapid changes of direction," Yussef added. Then he demonstrated, by grabbing Laura's ankle where it floated about hip height, and heaving her head-over-heels.

She wound up cart-wheeling, with an un-dignified squawk, flailing for a moment as she tried to get her balance back and right herself. "Yu-chan, you hentai! What the hell are you doing, trying to get a look up my skirt?!"

"You're wearing pants, not a skirt," he muttered back as he walked past her.

He was going to expand on that subject, when Noriko's hiss interrupted him, "Hayate-sama's here, and the investigator. On your toes, everyone, and remember your roles."

Yussef glanced around, and found the headmistress, Signum-sensei and Captain Gelcide exiting the library building. Seeing Gelcide, he started putting together his own 'role' of 'arrogant spoiled rich boy'. It was a disturbingly easy role to get in to. The trio was on a reverse of the course he and most of his classmates were following, heading for the class building they had just left. Signum was her usual inscrutable self, and the Captain was as blandly polite looking as he had been since his arrival. The headmistress, however, was looking rather amused about something.

_There's no need for your 'roles' any more, children,_ her voice sounded, but her lips never moved, and Noriko stumbled. It was just a single step, but such loss of decorum was still unheard of for her. Yussef gave her a glance, but she was staring at Hayate-sama. _Captain Gelcide has concluded his investigations, despite your... assistance. He'll be leaving in the morning, and I would appreciate it if you would try to be more polite, until he departs. _Her smile grew a little wider, and Yussef realized that she was sending the almost-chastisement telepathically.

Which was not as much of a surprise as Laura's reaction. She shouted, "Ta-chan!" and hit the ground running, charging for the edge of the woods at her not-inconsiderable best speed.

Watching her go, more resigned than confused, he asked, "Ta-chan?"

"Shimazu-san," Noriko replied. "You're familiar with her habit of giving people she likes childish nicknames? That's her nickname for Shimazu-san."

"The creep that came in for the guest lecture? Why would she like him? I thought he freaked her out?"

"Gee, maybe gratitude, ya think?" He glared at Allison, but the red-head just glared right back. "He saved her life, remember? In Kyoto? It wasn't that long ago, you arrogant dip."

Normally, Yussef had no problems with Allison. She had a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but since it was never really directed at anyone on campus, he had no idea what it was about. But every once in a while, something would set off her temper, and she'd switch from a taciturn associate to a waspish aggressor. It was a somewhat random occurrence, but that made it no less uncomfortable when he was the target for it.

"I remember it," he growled, "But that doesn't make him any less of a creep, or any less dangerous. You were in class with us when he showed up, you heard what he himself said. He's _dangerous_."

"Not to us," Noriko said, "but I agree, I do not think she should be quite so eager to see him. She is..." Noriko cut off, and Yussef saw her hand come up to cover her face, "Oh, Kami-sama. She kicked him. She just _attacked _a mage powerful to destroy a _city_."

Looking back at the object of his aggravation, he could not see what Noriko was talking about for a second. Laura had stopped running, and it looked like she had kicked something, but was just standing there, leg raised, and there was nothing for her to have attacked. Then the world rippled, and a hand faded into view around her ankle. The ripple flowed up an arm, spreading out until Takashi was visible, glowering at Laura, her foot a few inches from his belt-buckle.

"Total stealth," Yussef remembered, then, "How did she see him?"

"She did not," Hayate-sama told him, joining them at the edge of the path. "She sensed his presence, as she did when he came to class, well enough to pinpoint when she was standing next to him. Though, her method of greeting does leave something to be desired."

Gelcide asked, "Aren't you going to go meet him, Hayate-san?"

"No, Takashi needs to be reminded once in a while who is in charge, since he forgets so easily. We'll wait here for him."

"I'm surprised you let someone that dangerous near your students."

She shrugged, "Takashi is dangerous in certain situations. Generally, he is merely unsettling. He is less of a danger to my students than the students themselves are."

Yussef ignored that comment in favor of focusing on Takashi and Laura. Takashi released her leg, then took her by the shoulder and turned her back towards the group, pushing her ahead of him. Yussef could see his lips moving, but even when they came closer, he could not hear what was being said. Laura was certainly looking a little downcast but the time she rejoined them, but she grinned quick enough when she saw everyone watching. For his part, Yussef could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising, a vague sense of wrongness floating off the visitor, more intense this time than when he had appeared for the guest lecture.

"Oi, Signum-sensei, Hayate-sensei, Ta-chan's agreed to help me practice that detection thing you wanted me to work on. It's cool, right?"

"I'll discuss it with him," Signum intoned, glaring at the other man.

"Relax, Sword Knight," Takashi replied, "I've no intention of intruding on your lessons. Merely giving the girl something to detect."

Her eyes narrowed further, "What happened to the prisoner you took, Takashi?"

Yussef caught his hesitation, and traded a knowing glance with Noriko. The 'prisoner' was no doubt in less than healthy condition. No surprise after this long in Takashi's company, but obviously not something he was willing to discuss. The question was, was he unwilling to discuss it with them present, or with Hayate-sensei?

"He is being delivered to the Kyoto police as we speak. They are charging him with kidnapping, but a trial would be rather pointless now. Shall we discuss this someplace more private, musume? Away from the prying ears?" Yussef thought he was talking about them, but realized that the disturbing man was focused entirely on Captain Gelcide.

"The house," Hayate told him, "Signum and I will meet you there shortly." Takashi nodded, and the world rippled again as he vanished. "Children, carry on to the library. Captain, my apologies, but I'm afraid I need to take care of this immediately. Please, feel free to carry on, and we will meet you again for dinner." Then she and Signum were striding for the side-path that led up the hill.

"Well, that as certainly interesting," Gelcide commented, watching the two of them go. "I don't think I've ever met anyone quite so... fundamentally disturbing. Are you kids all right?"

Yussef gave him a disgusted look, and, still in the mental set of the part he had played in Gelcide's presence for two weeks now, demanded, "Why wouldn't we be? He's been here before, couple of times. We're used to him."

Gelcide glanced at him, then at the other kids, and asked, "And you don't find him disturbing?"

"Nah, Ta-chan just likes messing with people," Laura answered, "he's really pretty cool. Hey, Riko-chan, he asked about our little project, he's got some ideas to help."

Yussef felt his blood run cold, and grabbed her arm, leaning in close to hiss, "what did you tell him?"

"Laura, we can't ask anyone for help with that," Noriko admonished, "you _know_ that."

"Hey, lay off you two," Laura snapped, wrenching free of Yussef's grip. "I didn't tell him anything! He already knew. As for you, Riko-chan, you do remember what he is, don't you? He's the only one other than Hayate-sensei who can answer your questions, and he's offering to. He's also offered to be our guinea pig when we need one. We can't ask anyone here, but he's not _here_, now is he? He's just a visitor. But since you two don't _want _me to get his help, I won't." She turned headed for the dorms, stomping instead of floating now. Their classmates just stood there watching them, some smirking, some surprised.

Allison, still the closest of the group, asked, "I'd ask if it's a lover's quarrel, but since I'm not sure which of you is with who..."

"Don't be uncouth, Allison," Noriko countered, "we are classmates, nothing more."

"Regardless," Gelcide commented, "I'd suggest you go after her. Leaving a friend angry at you is a good way to get in trouble. Especially given how closely the three of you are supposed to be working on this 'side project' you've been given."

Yussef was torn for a moment. Something in Gelcide's eyes said he knew more about that project than he should, and he really wanted to find out what the foreign captain wanted. But he also knew that leaving Laura to stew would be worse than catching up to her and having it out now.

"Come on, Yussef," Noriko said, "he's right."

They caught up with Laura at the entrance to the dorm, Noriko enough ahead of Yussef to ask a question. The answer caused Yussef to stumble to a halt. "He said he can get you the parts you need, and show you how to use them. To become like him and Hayate-sensei. A Deva mage."

------------------------------

Hayate walked into the living room, glancing about. She could feel Takashi's presence, he was not hiding it any longer, but he was not in sight. She found him a moment later, standing on the deck, looking down on the campus as she often did. She slid open the door, and called out, "Takashi. Come in."

He turned, then shook his head slightly. "No, not right now. Akira will return from delivering the prisoner at any moment, and I would rather he not have to search for me. That would truly be disturbing for your children."

That statement froze her in place, sending a chill through her bones. She had never really faced Akira herself. Even in the docking bay, before going in pursuit of Kriegsen, she had not _opposed_ Akira. But she had read every report she could find on him, during her efforts to revive Takashi, and discussed Akira with her Knights several times afterwards. She was quite well aware of what a monster he was, and had thought him safely gone. "I thought..."

"I recreated him," Takashi confessed, "when your troubles here began. It occurred to me that I would require someone of his demonstrated capabilities and capacities, for any number or reasons. This just happens to have been the first task I had for him, questioning the prisoner."

"There are no reasons good enough to recreate that monster," Signum snarled. "He should not exist, should never have existed in the first place."

"He is necessary," Takashi countered, "he is capable of doing things I am not, such as successfully interrogating a hostile and hardened prisoner. I will not debate this. I am not subject to any law but my own, and I created him for my own purposes. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you keep it to yourself."

Hayate put a hand on Signum's arm to halt her response, then walked out fully onto the deck herself, moving to stand next to Takashi at the rail. "What were you able to learn?"

"No true names, no locations," Takashi replied, "not as far as I have been able to determine. The prisoner is from China, and this was his first operation outside of that nation. The organization he works for appears to operate world-wide, however. They are tightly organized, and fanatically determined to destroy you. They have their own legend of Alhazred here. They call it Atlantis, and believe that any mage who uses artificial enhancements is risking recreating the devastation of Alhazred. From their point of view, you are as dangerous as those who attempt to activate powerful lost logia. They do not regard attacking you as criminal, but as safeguarding their world.

"Worse, from your perspective, they do not believe they are attempting to kidnap your students, but that they are rescuing them from a fate worse than death. These people honestly believe they are heroes, preserving their world. I get the feeling that, if we dig deep enough, we will find that they, and their predecessors, have been keeping this world from developing magic naturally for centuries."

"That is bad news," Hayate said. "If they are as dedicated as you say, if they believe they are doing good, they will be all the harder to dissuade. I fear we will have to either openly engage them, or retreat as Captain Gelcide advised."

Still standing by the door, Signum demanded, "Did your puppet discover anything of tactical use?"

Takashi did not look at her, but did answer, "Their organization is extremely hierarchical. There are five major ranks, each with ten tiers, both counted in reverse order, nine being the lowest, zero the highest. Each rank and tier has specific authorities. They are further divided into departments, similar to the structure used in the Bureau, but again, very rigidly arranged. Different departments, even different styles of magic, have specific purposes. The Kyoto incident involved a total of fourteen of their mages, all second rank, tiers four through zero. The prisoner was first rank, ninth tier, a 'Master' in their parlance. Of those fourteen mages, nine, including the prisoner, belonged to their equivalent of Operations, including one who sacrificed himself to trigger the spell. Two were part of their Research and Development teams, one was part of their Internal Affairs, and the last was Administration. You can tell from that, I think, how rigid their thinking is. They do not react well to surprises, to upsets to their plans. They are very good at planning, at predicting every move and arranging everything to suit their expectations. But throw one little unexpected change at them, and they tend to fall all to pieces. That will be your advantage in battling them, and it will come to battle.

"As for their specific tactics, that I cannot comment on. I believe they will try to separate you, musume, as they have no understanding of Deva magic. Not surprising, but it would represent an unpredictable element in their plans, so they will attempt to remove you from the equation before moving directly against the school. Unfortunately, the prisoner could not provide any specific information about their resources or tactics beyond his own subordinates. He was roughly equivalent to a Bureau Captain, but their structure is so hierarchical and compartmentalized that he really only knew his own people. If we can get our hands on one of their rank zero people, one of these 'Adepts', I can get something more, but..." he trailed of with a shrug.

"We will just have to build in some unpredictability to our defenses," Hayate said. "Signum, we'll review the new defenses again this evening, after dinner. We also need to start keeping a standing watch, I think."

"I'll be staying in the area," Takashi told her. "Akira can begin scouting China for me, but I will remain nearby as a reserve. I'll stop in to work with Laura on her sensory acuity while I'm at it. You know she is building a device, with some of the others?"

Hayate nodded, "We are keeping an eye on them. For the moment, it is a good project for them to work on. It gives them something to focus their energies and abilities on, and once finished, they will need to spend time and energy learning to use those devices."

Takashi gave her a speaking look, and asked, "Have you actually looked at their designs?"

"Of course I have. We all reviewed their designs quite carefully, made some changes to make sure they did not hurt themselves, and arranged for them to locate the parts they would need. We have even gone to some lengths to convince them we _don't _know what they are doing." Hayate smiled serenely at him, "I do know how to monitor my students... Ta-chan."

He twitched at that, then glared at her slightly. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that, musume."

"I'll think about it. But it suits you so." She looked back out over the campus and tested it out, "Ta-chan. Aoi would like it."

The look of pain that settled over his face was a surprise, "Aoi did like it. She was the first person to call me that. And the last, before Laura. I've asked her not to use that name, I would appreciate it if you would refrain as well."

"I'm sorry," Hayate replied softly, touching his arm once, "I didn't know. I'll speak with Laura as well."

Takashi shrugged it off, "No way you could know." The normal unfeeling arrogance returned to his features, and he continued, "I'll be back once I've found a place to set up. Make sure the Bureau puppet's gone before I come back, please. I've no wish to show your students what a mage battle looks like."

He rolled over the rail without further comment, and landed without a sound, turning to stride up the side of the mountain, headed out of the valley. Hayate watched him go until he disappeared in the trees, then turned to Signum. "I don't think anything he gave us will change our static defenses, but we should work on changing the response plans, if he's going to be close enough to intervene."

"I do not believe we should rely on him, Mistress. He may mean well, but in combat..."

"He will be dangerous, yes, which is why we all need to be aware that he will be in the area. If battle comes here, all of you need to be prepared to handle whatever he does."

"And if he sends Akira?"

"He will. Which is one of the things we need to discuss. Vita is _not _going to be happy to hear that he is back."

"No one is going to be happy to hear that. The Bureau let Takashi off because he was unaware and incapacitated during Akira's crimes, but if he willingly recreated that monster... they will attempt to bring Takashi in again, and we will be caught in the middle of that fight."

Hayate shook her head, "No we would not. If the Bureau discovers Akira has returned, they will bring us in first, revoke our release and possibly charge us anew. Me, at least, and I know how the rest of you will react to that. We will have to postpone warning the others until after Captain Gelcide has left, to make certain the Bureau has no warning of Akira's return. With a little luck, they will not notice Akira's movements here on Earth, but Gelcide would have to report Akira's return."

Signum nodded her understanding, but commented one last time, "There are some allies I would just as soon do without."

------------------------------

HWSoD: Thanks for reading & reviewing.

Kell Shock: Three to four months, which is enough time for the devices to be finished, though how 'finished' I am still debating. The workrooms are all heavily shielded against anything & everything, but there are monitoring spells in place to allow any users to be monitored, though Gelcide was not given unrestricted access to those (as should be clear from above). The trio's device-building is not illegal, so much as against school rules – they aren't worried about getting sent to jail, just expelled. The knowledge of magic held by governments and the general populace is variable, and highly dependent on region. There'll be a few more incidents, but as of right now, most of the world is unaware of magic as such, and most of those who know do not believe.

CrimsonDX: and here's more info on the attackers for you, and on which of the trio's capable of what.

Sheo Darren: Chapter length is highly variable. I tend to aim for a minimum of 10 pages, with anything past that being bonus. The South African was fun to write, especially given the contrasts with usual imagery. 'African Shaman' usually conjures up images of a man in the wilderness dressed in grass and animal-hide, not a wealthy businessman with a limo. The differences he mentioned between shamanic and hermetic magic are some I've encountered elsewhere. Shamanic magic is highly intuitive, based on being in-tune with nature and the world (which is rather similar to Deva magic, now that I think on it, just on a smaller scale), while hermetic magic is structured, ordered, scientific. Advantages and weaknesses in each method. As for the enemy, their capabilities and methods are going to be revealed more and me in the next few chapters, though I will say they're more complicated than just 'techno-mages'.

Eni Li'Nave: yeah, 'yay technology'. Hate it with a passion, but can't stand not having it around. Here's Takashi's intro to Gelcide above, though I'm afraid he's a little pre-occupied to mess with a 'Bureau puppet'. Laura's fully capable of being serious – she's hyper, not stupid, one of those people who thinks way too fast for anyone else to keep up with. The problem with learning Deva magic is that it _requires _an altered linker core, so Hayate would first have to remove Noriko's linker core, which would then limit her to _only_ Deva magic, unless her device is completed first. Which is what Takashi offered above (and you'll note he didn't tell Hayate about that:). The thing about how many parts go in is a loose inference from some of the things said while Bardiche and Raging Heart were being repaired in A's, as well as the various storage and active forms. The mass has to go somewhere, and the way the spoke of the parts seemed to indicate more than would fit even in fully active mode, thus my assumption that most of the parts are stored 'sideways' in a pocket dimension. Noriko's and Yussef's device and armor forms are set, as is Laura's device, but I'm still debating her armor. Figuring the rest was easy, but I can't get an image I like for her just yet. As for the old man, his comments were supposed to be a joke/insult about the stereotypical 'perverted old Japanese man', trying to get Hayate riled. The shortage of information on the enemy is supposed to be reflective of Hayate's lack of information... it's also to satisfy my own twisted sense of humor, and somewhat in keeping with the show... both Nanoha and Nanoha A's took their own sweet time revealing information about who the enemy really was. I admit I've not been as good about revealing tidbits of info as I was in PoV, but this is a rather different sort of enemy. They're not so much based on the Technocracy as on the same idea as the Technocracy – a secret hierarchical organization dedicated to protecting the world from itself.

Stormturmoil: Let me know if you ever post that, I'll look forward to it. Sounds interesting. Thanks again for reading & reviewing.

TheWhiteMonk: I'd have to say Hayate's my favorite of the canon characters, with her Knights a close second (obviously:). I'm glad you're enjoying my characters, and yeah, I know I need to detail the others a little better. I'm currently fluctuating between exploring their characters or advancing the main plot. Four months in-story times should give me time to work on both, though. The humor, interactions and what-not just sorta come naturally... it's how I see the world, so that's how I write. No situation and no person are totally goofballs or totally serious all the time, everyone finds something funny, and everyone connects to someone else somehow. You're close to right on the enemy's motives, though their not as supremacist, just... overly certain of the end-result of Hayate's course. The TSAB's involvement is almost as complicated as the 'main enemy', there are a couple things going on there that'll be revealed in due time.


	14. 14 Fun & Games

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 14 – Fun and Games -

Luke could not help flinching when two open hands smacked down on the table next to him, causing the heavy piece of furniture to leap slightly, sending piled books slithering into lower heaps. The motion, the loud noise, the fear of who it had to be... he felt perfectly justified in flinching, no matter how un-manly it was. Looking up the arms ramrod straight over the table, he took note of who it was, closed his eyes, and whispered a brief prayer to Saint Sebastian, patron of soldiers and the dying, that this would not be as bad as it could be.

"G'day, Laura," he managed after a moment, "What can I do for you?"

"I haven't pranked anyone in weeks," she replied with a grin, "You're gonna help me."

"Oh, God no, not me," he crossed his arms in an 'X' between them, "I'm not gonna be one of your fall-guys."

Laura huffed, then replied in a highly insulted tone, "I don't have fall-guys. I have cats-paws, and you sure as heck are gonna help me."

Luke shook his head again at that. He did not know of anyone else helping Laura with one of her pranks, but he had no doubt that being her assistant would be just as bad as being one of her targets. Personally, he preferred being a target. At least that way he would not be one of those getting in trouble. "Nope, not in this lifetime."

"Yes you are," she insisted, "'cause I'll get you something you want rather badly."

"There's nothing I want badly enough to risk my hide on one of your pranks, Laura."

"What about Noriko's time and attention?"

Luke's brain stumbled at that for a second, then he glared at Laura. "That's not funny, sheila."

She grinned back, and giggled back, "Yeah it is. But I'm serious. You don't even have to do anything dangerous, and you can spend an hour or two all alone with the pretty princess. Heck, that's all I want you to do. I'd ask Yu-chan, but he'd want to know why."

"_I_ want to know why," Luke interrupted.

Laura shrugged, "payback. It's been a few weeks, so she's letting her guard down. Now's the perfect time to get some of my own back for Kiyomizu-dera."

Luke looked at her quizzically for a moment, then remembered, "the love-stones, she tricked you and now you're going to make her suffer as well."

"Not _suffer_," Laura protested intensely. "Well, not much anyway. I'm just going to let her know that I don't appreciate a month worth of jokes about me and rich-boy."

"Then stop disappearing with him. I thought she was your friend."

Laura blinked at him, then frowned in confusion. "What's that got to do with it?"

"You're not supposed to rip on your friends, Laura," he explained.

"Whatever. You gonna help me, or should I start insisting?"

He thought for a minute about telling her no. Interested though he was in getting to know Noriko better, he was still less than interested in being part of one of Laura's plots. On the other hand, he had figured out a lot faster than Yussef that, appearances aside, Laura was no flighty airhead. She was just as stubborn and strong-willed as any of them, and with a much more devious turn of mind. If he said 'no', she would find some way to drag him in anyhow, possibly without his even being aware of it. Then he realized exactly how he could get out of this unscathed, and possibly even ahead of the game, so he sighed slightly, and nodded, "All right, I'm in. What's the plan?"

"Sweet! I knew I liked you for a reason!" Laura punched his shoulder lightly, then dropped into a chair, bouncing to the edge. She leaned over the table and started whispering, "I need you to keep her busy outside the dorms for at least half an hour or so after class one of the days this week, preferably tomorrow. Anything beyond that's gravy, but I need at least thirty minutes. Can ya handle that, cowboy?"

"I'm not a cowboy, but yeah, I got it. Half an hour'll be easy."

"You're not from the Old West, but you're a cowboy anyways." Then she swatted his arm again, harder, "And don't interrupt me! It's rude. That's all you've got to do, just keep her busy and out of the dorms for half an hour plus. Ask her to help you review whatever Hayate-sensei teaches in class tomorrow. Today's lessons were nothing much, but tomorrow's might be. You may wind up with a bigger audience, but you'll have Riko-chan's attention. Just keep her busy for me."

Luke watched her stalk off a moment later, debating furiously in the privacy of his own mind. Sure, he was more than willing to have any excuse to spend time with Noriko. She was smart, pretty, nice, and nowhere near as scary as Laura or Natalia. Even better, none of the other guys would give him any grief for it, since most of them would agree with him. But... was it worth being part of a plot to prank her? He doubted Noriko would do anything to him, even if she did figure out he had a hand in Laura's plans, but _he_ would know. If he followed through on his idea, however, and Laura found out, it could be worse. Finally, he decided on the risk that let his conscience rest, and carefully structured the communications spell they had all been refining. "Noriko-san? Got a minute?"

"Certainly, Luke," her voice came back a moment later, seemingly from the center of his head. It was a trick to the spell, putting the caster's voice in both of the recipient's ears at the same time, that required the sort of fine-tuned control he wished he had. "And I told you all, just Noriko is fine."

"You say so. Listen, Laura's planning something to get back at you, a prank of some sort. Thought you otta know."

"Again?" She hardly sounded surprised, more resigned. "I suppose I should take Vita-sensei's advice and let her catch me, this time."

Luke was surprised at that, "You mean she's tried before?"

Noriko laughed softly, "Yes, she has tried several times since Kyoto, even before we left Kiyomizu-dera. She hasn't succeeded yet, because I do not care to be one of her victims. I think I will, this time, just because I'm getting tired of it, and she should stop once she thinks the scales are even. How did you find out?"

"She asked me to help." He figured she would be asking that, but it was still embarrassing to admit.

"Oh?" The mild curiosity in her voice just made it more embarrassing. "What was your part going to be?"

"I'm supposed to keep you out of the dorms for half an hour or so tomorrow."

"So she's planning on doing something to my room? Oh, joy. Well, sooner begun, sooner finished. Tomorrow afternoon in the Library, after Lotte-sensei's class? I will bring Cidela and Megan, we can work on the statistics proofs for Signum-sensei."

"Sounds good," he replied, both happy that she was not angry with him, and unhappy that tomorrow would be group study. The connection faded, and he turned most of his attention back to the studying Laura had interrupted.

-----------------------------

Noriko leaned back from the terminal in front of her, letting her head hang over the chair-back, her eyes drop closed, and just relaxed for a minute. From somewhere up on the second level came a soft waterfall of sound, guitar strings flowing under Mariachi's fingers. It was a technical violation of the Library's rules, but not even Natalia had ever bothered telling him to stop. For one thing, Mariachi never played anything inappropriate in here. It was always soft, smooth background music, nothing disruptive or distracting. For another, Mariachi was the only person on campus who had any musical talent at all, and everyone except Laura claimed it helped them study. Laura, predictably, preferred American rock and roll, but even she could be talked into admitting Mariachi was good.

At the moment, however, none of those points were on her mind. She merely leaned back and relaxed, letting the rippling melody of the music fill her mind. She needed that feeling of relaxation, the brief period of doing nothing. There were any number of things over the past few weeks she could point to that were all adding together to leave her feeling stressed out and pressured. She had dealt with similar issues before, in smaller ways and separately, but never all at once, and she just knew things were going to get worse before they got better.

Part of it was simply school work, the pressure of trying to do well with a course load that would have made most kids her age blanch, even here in Japan. Multiple languages, multiple histories, math that was rapidly leaving algebra behind, and that was just the 'normal' classes. She remembered her mother expressing some concern that Hayate-sensei did not have any sort of 'cram school' arrangements, but when Noriko told them what the actual course load was like, her mother's complaints had vanished. Combined with the magical classes, it would have been enough to stress out any student, but Noriko felt that she and her classmates were handling the work rather well. None of them were failing, at least.

Another part of her rising stress levels was the device project. Construction of hers was coming along nicely, even if she was a little behind Yussef and Laura. But it was still complicated and delicate work requiring concentration, steady hands, and ridiculous attention to detail. Then there was trying to keep it secret from the teachers, and the other students. Their desire for secrecy required that they move their half-finished devices every day, to keep anyone from getting suspicious about a permanently locked workroom, which was more than a little difficult, given that they could not create the dimensional pocket until the devices were mostly complete. While not approaching the mass Laura claimed for Signum-sensei's Levantine, their half-finished devices were still bulky and difficult to hide.

The most unique issue she found was dealing with her classmates. Apparently her ability to retain her temper and sanity while remaining in close and repeated contact with both Yussef and Laura simultaneously had convinced the rest of her classmates that Noriko was the best person to bring their own disputes to if they did not want to involve one of the teachers, which happened with surprising frequency. Despite how much they all liked their teachers, involving them was a last-resort sort of thing that all of them were loathe to do. Also, despite how small the class was, they had their fair share of fights and personal conflicts. While none of the issues were as volatile as Laura and Yussef, Noriko was still finding herself caught between her classmates on a regular basis, and it was getting rather wearing. Not that she would complain, since someone had to do it, but there had been a couple of times recently when she had caught herself so frustrated she was on the verge of screaming at people, even the calmly peaceful Cidela. The prospect of being subjected to one of Laura's pranks this afternoon was not helping much, either.

But the worst source of stress, she thought, was the continuing attempts to penetrate the school's defenses. It had been two weeks, now, since Captain Gelcide returned from whence he came, and Hayate-sensei had quietly let everyone know that he would not be causing the school any problems. In that time, Noriko's sensitivity to magic, the entire classes', had done nothing but grow. Two days after Gelcide left, in the middle of Lotte-sensei's class on personal shields, they had all felt a huge disturbance, one strong enough and strange enough to leave them all shaken, and Laura, Cidela and Noah had required Shamal's attention and been unsteady for the remainder of the day.

That incident had triggered an expansion in all the students' sensitivity to magic. Noriko had been experimenting with hers a few days later, seeing if she could sense the school's wards from her dorm room, and how much detail she could develop on them without setting one off. She had been working on one of the more obvious ones, detailing as much as could about it, when someone tried to get through the wards from outside. Her first inkling had been when her wide-open senses detected a ward being deactivated. Then something else had triggered, something she had not detected until it activated, but later realized was a Deva ward. It sent a coruscating wave of power back down the path of the probe in an obvious counter-attack. Even though she had not been its target, and all its energies had been directed _away_ from her, it had been like standing next to a lightning strike, a massive flash of unbearable light, terrible sound and power. She had come to in Shamal's medical room, and even now, a week and a half later, the vaguely scorched and unsteady feeling was only fading slowly.

Since then, she and several of the others had sensed two more attempts to circumvent the wards surrounding the campus. _Everyone _had noticed when all three were violently repulsed, though Noriko was the only one who had been unfortunate enough to have a front-row seat for one of the 'events'. Hayate-sensei had told them all some of what was going on, that an unknown organization was attempting to gather information on the campus without going through channels. She had tried to be as calm and reassuring about it as possible, especially since she had already figured out what was happening, but the idea was fundamentally frightening, though less so for her and Yussef than the rest of her classmates. However much or little her family had tried to protect her from political realities, she had at least been exposed to the idea that there were crackpots, crazies and hostile nations who would like to either harm or use her. Even more worrisome, immediately after each event two of their teachers had disappeared, and upon their return, had been rather unhappy, indicating that whoever was doing this was good enough to avoid their teachers.

Which was worrisome enough in itself, but had also worried her classmates enough that they were looking to her for reassurances. Keeping their spirits up was not helping her keep her own up, since she was acutely aware of just how little she actually knew about what was going on, or even what she was doing. So, all in all, she was perfectly willing to take advantage of any moment of peaceful relaxation that even looked to be coming her way, such as sitting in the library after class, taking a break from studying to listen to Mariachi play.

The piece he was currently playing was very rhythmic, fluctuating between high rapid cascades of notes that were almost enough to dance to, and slower, more contemplative sweeps that almost sounded like no song at all, just him playing. She listened for several minutes, just enjoying and relaxing. But as the piece wound down, she allowed her curiosity to get the better of her, and shaped a simple spell, sending her voice out of range of her sight, "Mariachi? What song is that?"

There was a momentary delay, though the music never stopped, then he replied, "something new I found. It's called _Arabia_. Jerry Garcia and some other guitarist I hadn't heard of before. Like it?"

"It's beautiful, Mariachi, very relaxing. Is it in the archives?"

"That's where I found it. There's a big music library, I'll send you the location."

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that."

"Noriko-chan? Are you okay?"

She twitched, surprised at the voice that wasn't Mariachi's, and rolled her head upright, blinking as she finally opened her eyes again. "Ah, I'm fine, Luke," she replied after a moment, reaching up to scrub her eyes gently. "Just enjoying the music."

"Cid-chan was worrying," he replied, nodding in the other girl's direction, "you didn't respond."

"I'm sorry," Cidela replied turning back to her array of books, "I was just worried, you didn't move for so long."

"Nothing wrong with worrying," Noriko replied tapping the other girl's hand to get her to look up. "Don't be so worried about asking after people, Cid-chan. It's in your nature, and a good habit to be in."

"All the better that you ask," Hayate-sensei added, "for some won't even think to ask for help when they need it, ne, Riko-chan?"

Noriko sighed, "Please don't call me that, sensei. It's bad enough Laura can't manage to get my name right."

Hayate-sensei smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder, "I'm just teasing you, Noriko. You've been getting too serious lately. But you do realize what is common between those she gives pet-names to, don't you?"

Noriko nodded, smiling slightly. She had figured it out shortly after they began working on the devices, "She uses them for people she's impressed by, but not in awe of. People she can learn from that aren't teachers."

"Actually, I think it's anyone she can learn from," Hayate countered. "I'm fairly certain she has nicknames for Signum and I, but she's too savvy to use them. Cidela, Luke, Megan, would you mind if I stole your study partner for a few minutes? I need to talk to her privately."

Cidela nodded quickly, "Certainly, sensei, just let us get..."

"No, Cidela, all of you, stay," Hayate's gesture stopped the other three's efforts to pack up the small mountain of books, "you need this space more than we do. Noriko? Shall we walk?" Noriko contented herself with a nod and stood, leaving her own books. No one would disturb them, even if she wound up leaving them overnight as Allina and Niranjana often did.

Hayate-sensei was silent while they were in the building, and Noriko found herself wondering what this was about. Off the top of her head, she could only think of one thing the Headmistress might want to talk to her about privately – her device. Deva magic was unlikely, her questions had all been either answered or skillfully evaded in class, and Hayate-sensei had been excruciatingly clear that she would not teach any of them anything about Deva magic until several years in the future. She did not have any special projects for Hayate's class at the moment, her only official projects were research on the Meiji Restoration for Vita's history class and one on enlarging her energy discs for Lotte-sensei, both of which were progressing fine well ahead of their deadlines. She had already been exhaustively questioned on the incident with the ward. So the only thing she thought Hayate-sensei would want to talk to her about was the incomplete device.

The two of them walked down the Libary's steps still in silence, and Hayate-sensei turned towards the edge of the quad, waving Noriko to walk beside her instead of a step behind. They were moving at a slow stroll, and Noriko started to feel a rare urge to fidget under the silence.

"I didn't ask you out here to chastise you, Noriko," Hayate-sensei said after a few minutes, "just to discuss. I've noticed something recently, and thought you might want to talk to someone."

Noriko studied her profile out of the side of her eyes, but only saw a gentle smile and slowly wandering gaze. Hayate-sensei appeared to be studying the trees around them, rather than looking at Noriko, but she had the feeling that the Headmistress was fully focused on her. "I'm not certain what you mean, sensei."

Hayate's smile grew slightly, "I knew as soon as I met you that you would be one of the dominant personalities in the class. You have proven to be just as much a leader as I expected, and more of one than Yussef or Laura, your two nearest competitors for 'class boss'. Oh, Yussef has a better rapport with the boys, but I've noticed that even he tends to bring his troubles to you. Believe me, I understand just how difficult a position that can be to maintain, and I know for a fact that it always helps to have someone else to talk to, someone who is not necessarily part of same circles. My Knights have been together for centuries, but even they have their differences, and the crews we worked with certainly did. There were times when I was very glad to have Nanoha-chan to talk to about them. She knew enough to help, but was not so caught up in relationships as to be part of the problems. Even if she was involved, there was Chrono-kun or Lindy-san.

"So, I know this is a difficult time, with the intruders attempting to breach our defenses, on top of your normal school work and... extracurriculars. I wanted to see how you are standing up under the strain, and see if there was anything you needed help with. Not so much as your headmistress, but as someone who's been where you are – the person to whom others look for guidance."

Noriko turned to stare at her in surprise. Despite her own awareness of the situation, she had not really thought of her position in the class as 'leading'. Sure, she gave advice, she even gave orders, though she liked to think she was not 'bossy' like Natalia was in the library. Sure she listened, and she tried to keep everyone getting along, but everyone was doing that. Sure she knew she had been raised to lead, but it would be years before she actually did. The plan to hamstring Gelcide's investigations had not even been her idea, really. They had all thought of the same thing, she had just made sure everyone was working together, instead of at cross-purposes. Even if she had wanted that sort of position, the class was far too small for any sort of 'class president', and even then there were always the teachers, _they_ had the responsibility and the authority, not her.

But the more she thought about it, especially trying to look at it from Hayate-sensei's point of view, the more she realized she did have the authority, the responsibility, in the eyes of her classmates if no one else. If they had not thought she had it, they would not have approached her. For a moment she was sorely tempted to ask the Headmistress' advice on how to handle or help anyone and everyone. There were plenty of things she had said over the past few months she was uncertain of, problems not really resolved. Surely Hayate-sensei would know more about them than she did. But... that would be betraying their trust. If any of those who had asked her for help had wanted the teachers to know, they would have gone to the teachers, not to her.

"Ano, thank you for the offer, sensei, but... I'm not sure I should talk about it. If they wanted you to know..." she trailed off, uncertain of how to explain without being offensive.

Hayate-sensei merely nodded, "That's a good reaction. If someone comes to you in confidence, you are supposed to keep it. But I was not planning to speak about that. I was thinking in more... general terms. No one gets along with everyone all the time, not even I do. But everyone needs someone to talk to, someone to listen to their problems, even if they can't offer solutions, someone to offer advice when they can. After your demonstration with Captain Gelcide, it was rather obvious that you need such a confidant, but it is equally obvious, given who your usual compatriots are, that you are not going to find such a person amongst your classmates, since they all seem determined to use your shoulder to cry on. Your father would do well, but he is not actually _here_. So..." she turned to face Noriko finally, trailing off for a moment, and shrugged, "... I thought you might want to talk."

The explanation, clear as it was, very nearly floored Noriko. Not so much for what her teacher said, as the fact that she had never even considered that before. Years later, she would claim that it was in that precise moment that she came to truly understand what it was to lead, all its costs and ramifications, the necessities and responsibilities, everything necessary to claim to be a leader. But at the time, all she realized was that, while she had come to be so busy 'being there' for those around her, being the trusted voice of steady reason they relied on, she had no one to fill that role for her.

"I... I think I'd like that... nee-san."

It helped, even the short conversation they had then before returning to dinner. Even without using names or specifics, she managed to get some advice on helping her classmates, and even on helping herself. Just the realization that she could go to Hayate-sensei without having to go to the _Headmistress_, that there was someone she could bring problems and complaints to, was surprisingly reassuring.

Unfortunately, it was also distracting, so she was halfway across the dining hall before she realized that, not only was everyone staring at her, but Yussef, standing next to the buffet table, was positively glaring as his gaze shifted to her right. She looked around for a second, trying to figure out why she was the center of attention, and why Hayate-sensei was no longer walking with her, then a shift of her head brought her long hair into the corner of her vision. She reached up slowly to pull it forward over her shoulder, dawning comprehension followed by rather surprising amount of rage as she stared at the one thing she would admit to being vain about, her long smooth black hair. The strands in her hand were still smooth as silk, straight and fine, but... florescent green.

"Hah, Riko-chan, now I _know_ you're a Japanese school-girl!" Laura's voice sang out, and Noriko snapped around to find her friend grinning widely at her. As soon as she managed eye-contact, however, Laura burst out laughing, flying over the tables to half-tackle her, caroling, "Ah, the look on your face!" Noriko just took the impact, trying to figure out what to say, how to say anything without snapping, when Laura whispered, "Relax, Noriko, it'll fade in a day or two. Unlike the jokes."

"It's my _hair_, Laura."

"And it'll be back to normal in a couple days. 'Course, I'm gonna have everyone calling you 'anime-girl' by then, but fair's fair. Everyone's still joking about me and Yu-chan."

That reminder managed to cool Noriko's temper, for the most part. In the privacy of her own mind, she could admit that her joke on Laura and Yussef had been a bit much, given how well the two of them got along. But it had been a spur of the moment thing, and she was just so tired of their constant bickering. "We'll talk about it again in a couple of days, when I have my hair back."

------------------------------

"Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice, Mister Al Musab," the first man said, Arabic smooth but oddly accented. "I am afraid we have very little time in Egypt, and have a rather unique opportunity."

Adib waved that aside, "It was no bother. We Egyptians have a long history of welcoming traders, how could I turn down a request from such a valuable partner and stay true to that tradition? Please, have a seat. Tea?"

"Yes, please."

Drinks were poured, and pleasantries exchanged, for a few minutes more. Both sides of the discussion came from cultures where the polite dance of conversation was much appreciated, though it was in this case somewhat perfunctory. Both sides had other business to attend to, and limited time to attend to it. Finally, the Assistant Director for Trade settled his cup and asked, "So, what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"I'm afraid our business today is not so pleasant as trade. We have a common enemy, Hayate Yagami."

Adib visibly froze at that, but recovered well enough before replying, "I'm afraid I don't follow. I am not familiar with anyone by that name."

"Your niece attends her school in Japan."

The anger this time was unmistakable. "I have no niece!"

"Cidela Al Musab, officially disowned as of yesterday, I believe." He raised a hand to cut off Adib's vehement denial, "What would be better, Mister Al Musab, for your family, your honor, and your niece – to abandon her to her error, or to return her to the true path? We have another problem with the school, but would be willing to return your niece, in exchange for your assistance in solving our problem. My apologies for the rudeness of our approach, but I am afraid we are working in a restricted window of opportunity, and we cannot afford to waste time."

Adib was quiet, but he was too obviously thinking over the offer, such as it was. Despite convincing his brother to disown the wayward girl, Cidela's disobedience was still causing him some problems, unofficial but none the less real. The decision was easy enough to make, recovering her would do wonders for his reputation. "What did you have in mind?"

"We need to separate the faculty from the students, in order to preserve all of them, particularly the Yagami woman herself. We believe, given her penchant for interfering in the rest of the world, that we can lure her out, but she suspects us already and will not venture into our country. We would like to use part of the Libyan Desert in the southwest of your country, possibly over the border into Libya itself. What we would need from you sir, is simply a blind eye. We would need to bring in certain equipment, and set up the distraction. Once the Yagami woman is here, we can retrieve all the students, and she will have no choice but to accept the situation as given."

"You would need travel papers, entry visas, work permits...," Adib agreed, then nodded sharply, decision made, "A geological expedition, to study the underlying desert, looking for oil, or gas. Several other such expeditions have been made in the last few years, it should be easy enough to arrange through my office. Send me a list of the people you will need visas for, and I will make arrangements. It will have to be by the book, you understand, the usual fees will need to be paid, but no one will question you or your equipment."

"You agree with our operation? Forgive me, but you appear to be doing so rather easily."

Adib shrugged, "I, too, watch the news. The Yagami woman was on a few weeks ago, breaking laws or something in South Africa. And I cannot give up on my family so easily. What you ask is nothing, a trifle, if it has any chance of bringing my niece back to the fold."

Making arrangements for future contact took only a few more minutes, then the two visitors found themselves once again on Cairo's narrow overcrowded streets. Switching to a language both of them were more comfortable in, the younger, who had remained silent, asked cautiously, "Adept, was it wise to tell him we would return his niece to him? I thought we would take all the students, to correct their educations."

"Oh, I never promised to return her to Egypt," the Adept replied, "only to return her to the true path. Our path. If he misunderstood my meaning, that is his error. Remember, the most effective lie is often the truth, misheard. And barbarians such as these often mishear."

"I understand, my apologies for questioning you, Adept."

"That is why you are along, Journeyman, to learn, and you cannot do that if you do not question. But something else is bothering you. What is it?"

There were a few moments of silence, then, "I am uncertain about these students. The Traditions require that those with the gift be brought in as young children, before the second year, to be raised in the Circles. None of these children have ever been given even the least contact with the Circles, back several generations at best. Should we truly train them, offer them a place?"

"That is a question much debated by the Master Adepts. In the end, it was decided that the Yagami woman would have them for too long, teach them too much, before we could rescue them. They understand the basics of the Art now, and will continue to pursue it. Better to have them under our wing, where they can learn the true methods and may hue to the proper path, than loose in the world, where we would eventually have to neutralize them anyway. They are still young, they will adapt. For the moment, however, we need to focus on rescuing them from their current predicament. Did you arrange for the helicopter?"

"Yes, Adept. We will have it for two days, with crew, to scout locations. The criteria are rather loose, so we should have no trouble finding a suitable place, the only real question will be privacy, given the nomads in the region."

Their discussion continued to the technicalities of their current mission as they continued walking loosing themselves in the bustling crowds.

------------------------------

"Hayate Yagami?"

"Speaking," She replied into the phone, more than a little curious that a voice she did not recognize had gotten a hold of the phone number, "Who is this?"

"Colonel Garreth Hughes, United States Army, DARPA. We have a bit of a situation here, and I was referred to you by certain allied parties. Specifically, the Japanese Self Defense Force command staff. Not sure how they got wind of you, but we're at our wits end, and you're the best lead we've been given."

That was a rather curious set of revelations. She had not even been aware that the JSDF was aware of her existence. The idea that they were giving her name out to a foreign military was also a surprise. "I am your best lead for what?"

"We have an anomaly at one of our proving grounds that refuses to resolve. It's been in place for several years now, and while it hasn't done anything drastic, it's growing slowly and none of our people can even tell what it is, let alone how to get rid of it. Since our usual scientific methods have failed, I managed to get some back-door permissions to try an esoteric approach, which eventually brought about this call. I was hoping you could come out here to the States and at least take a look at this thing, give us some pointers in containing it, and maybe tell us how to get rid of it."

"Ah, that is a rather surprising request, Colonel. Usually I only respond to immediate emergencies, what you are talking about seems rather more stable."

"Hence my calling you personally, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't give out much more information than I already have, it is a rather highly classified matter, but... like I said, it's still growing, and frankly, we're at our wits end trying to stop it. Another year or two and our current containment facility will no longer be large enough to hold it, which is worrisome, since we can't move it."

Hayate thought the matter over briefly, but there really was not much question. It might not have been an emergency situation, but it was still a problem, and if the JSDF sent someone to her, that meant it was probably a magic issue, which made it her domain. "I'll need a few days to arrange things here," she told him. "If this is as convoluted as you are making it sound, I may need to be on site for a few days. Today is Tuesday, shall we say, Friday?"

"Very good, ma'am, I can have quarters prepared for you and whoever else you bring. I'll have arrangements made for your flight..."

"Oh, that's alright, Colonel," she interrupted, "I'll make my own travel arrangements. Cheaper and faster for all concerned. What are the coordinates of the facility, the front gate, preferably."

There was a pause on the other end, then a slight chuckle, "I'm afraid that's classified, ma'am. But I'll compromise. There's an Air National Guard facility at the Seattle airport. Touch down there, I'll arrange transport to the facility for you. I'm sorry, but I really can't give you any more information than that. Regulations."

"I understand," Hayate replied with a grin of her own. "I'll be there, with one other. I take it this should be on the subtle side?"

"Ah, we would appreciate that, ma'am. South Africa was impressive, but..."

Hayate grimaced as he trailed off, "not the sort of thing I usually indulge in. Unfortunately, the incident was in a city, and rather attention-getting."

"Oh, I wasn't criticizing, ma'am. Just commenting. I'll see you Friday, then."

"Friday," she agreed, then the line went dead. She thought over the little bit of information, then asked, _Shamal? Step into my office when you have a minute?_

_Yes, Mistress,_ Shamal replied immediately, _but it may be a while. Whatever Laura did to Noriko's hair is proving rather persistent. I have not been able to clean it out. That girl is rather creative, I do not recall encountering such a specific color alteration spell before. She even demonstrated it on herself, but..._

_That creativity would be why she stands so high in the class,_ Hayate told her, smiling at the memory of Noriko's predicament. She knew she really should not be amused by one of her students playing pranks like that on a fellow, which was why Laura had gotten a rather sharp dressing down then and there, before the two were sent to Shamal to try and reverse the damage. But she could admit, in the privacy of her office, that since no real damage was done, it was rather amusing, and an impressively precise trap. _No crisis, but we have an invitation to do some research in a few days, and I want to talk over with you, that's all. We may be gone for a couple days, but it does not sound dangerous._

_I think I'll send the duo on their way then. Noriko will just have to get used to her new color. It's actually pretty, in a bright sort of way. Better than the red Laura used on her own hair. That girl._

Hayate just chuckled at the exasperated tone, and let the connection fade. Laura was proving, as both she and Yussef had predicted, to be an entertaining challenge. All of the kids were, really, Laura was just the most exuberant of them.

-----------------------------

Author's Note: the piece named by Mariachi, _Arabia_, does exist. I have a copy from a friend that was performed by Jerry Garcia & Al Dimeola, a fifteen minute guitar duet, with a very little bit of percussion in the back. Unfortunately, I do not know what album (if any) it is from, or where to find it.

-----------------------------

CrimsonDX: Laura & Lotte interacting is always fun, since they have such similar personalities. None of the members of the Circles will be famous, I'm afraid - their whole objective is to remain covert, after all. I'm kinda glad Gelcide became more popular, he was never really supposed to be an enemy, just someone doing their job.

Kell Shock: The Circles are a question, and they're supposed to be, I'm afraid. Was the Kyoto attempt a one-shot, or a test of future plans? Not sure myself, to be honest. I will say they are ruthless and dedicated to their cause. Most of their cellular structure and attitude comes from their outlook & plans – they aren't so much fighting a powerful enemy, as keeping a massive world-altering secret from 8 billion people. And 'mischief' happened above, I believe.

TheWhiteMonk: The Circles are rigid, but if that's what you're used to... still, I agree, not for me. I haven't thought much on their history, just their present and plans as they relate to this story. I'll agree that the magic-as-technology approach from the Nanoha series is one of my favorite aspects, though in all honesty, I'd have to say my favorite episode from A's is the one when Hayate awakens to her full power and recreates her Knights, though I forget what number it is. I've got a thing for that sort of moment-of-splendor scene. I hadn't thought of doing side-stories, thanks. I'll have to consider it (though I'd probably get lynched, since it would delay chapters of Academy Blues:).

Sheo Darren: see to your studying first. Trust me on that, I didn't one year & I've regretted it ever since. It's like planning – the more work you do now, the more playing you get to do later. Don't ask me where, but I've actually seen all three of those descriptions for methods of flight in several places each, from comics to RPGs to books, so I can't really claim credit. They make sense to me, though. Gelcide's proven to be the closest character to what I originally planned yet, mostly because his role's so short. He started out in an adversarial position, then discovered there was no reason for it, so became more relaxed and friendlier. As for the Circles, they have their reasons, views and limits - which have not all been detailed yet, so they could be worse than you think right now, they could be better.

Eni Li'Nave: Yup, life's a pain like that, but thank's for taking the time anyhow. Deva magic is difficult to understand, but the primary obstacle to studying it (and one of the facets the Bureau nerds never quite understood) is that it requires the different linker core, though even with that, Hayate is still learning the ins and outs of the type. It would make a good humbling exercise, but Hayate won't share the info with anyone but her Knights, because Noriko has enough info already she could probably figure out enough to be dangerous &/or in danger. I'm not sure yet if Takashi will actually go behind Hayate's back to make Noriko a Deva mage, it would be in his nature to create a challenge for his musume & insure his wife's legacy survives, but it would also be against his nature to interfere that blatantly with her students. A quandry:). I didn't think Laura's flying was so energetic, since she can't really manage more than a walking pace (she landed to go after Takashi), and her nicknames are kinda-sorta explained above. I'm afraid Gelcide was a pawn, just not a willing or knowing one, hence his altered reactions, and since he's from a different sector, he never really had the personal encounters with Akira to have the personal animus everyone near Terra does. The Circle's aren't supposed to be friendly or likable, I'm afraid. They've dedicated their lives to protecting the world from itself in spite of itself, so yeah, they're going to have quite the problem dealing with Hayate & her all her associates. As for your timing, it was impeccable. I finished the actual chapter the day after your review:). Thanks for still reading!


	15. 15 Extracurricular Activities

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 15 – Extracurricular Activities -

The teleport faded smoothly, and Hayate took a moment to look around, matching her location to the satellite photos of the airport. Two large hangers, one substantial office building, and a few smaller sheds made a rather less impressive presentation than she had expected, but this was still clearly a military facility, even if one side of the fenced compound was open to the tarmac. The few figures moving about were in uniform, mostly green fatigues, and through the open doors of one hangar she could see several green-painted helicopters tied down.

Several of those figures were approaching rapidly as she and Shamal stepped out from between two sheds, looking somewhat alarmed and definitely armed, so the two of them waited there for the first to reach them. Identifying themselves took a few minutes, but apparently the base guard detail had been warned to expect their arrival, if not the nature of their appearance. From there, they were quickly escorted to an Army Humvee, and were out the gate and on the highway less than twenty minutes after the teleport.

Their driver was an excruciatingly polite young woman, who identified herself only as "Staff Sergeant Maunders," and answered almost every question with a stock answer of, "Colonel Hughes can answer that better than I, Ma'am." She would not even speak of where they were going, and after three hours the route was convoluted enough that Hayate's notorious personal navigational abilities were completely turned around as they passed through another chain-link fence beneath a sign reading, 'Fort Nikolai Tesla, Electro-Magnetic Systems Proving Ground', which was itself festooned with warnings about electro-magnetic dangers and requirements to turn off and/or safeguard electronic equipment.

Once inside the base perimeter, Sergeant Maunders became much more talkative, pointing out places of interest, though given her penchant for indecipherable anagrams it was hard to tell what was so interesting, and Hayate found herself distracted. She had felt a sense of indefinable imbalance growing as they drove, but it sharpened shortly after they crossed the base perimeter. She could feel her magic shifting, a tugging on it that was unpleasant, and grew more so.

Sergeant Maunders finally stopped in front of a rather substantial bunker, easily twice the size of Hayate's school's classroom building, though nowhere near as easy on the eyes. The walls appeared to be solid concrete, with massive reinforcing buttresses, and one small steel door. When Hayate made to exit the vehicle, the Sergeant stopped her, "There are some rather heavy defenses out there, ma'am. Better to wait in the vehicle until the inside staff gets them safed. We'll have to call in to get one of the duty staff to open the hatch." That took several minutes of incomprehensible codes and unintelligible responses, but eventually the hatch cracked open slightly. "'Kay, you two go on in now, they'll take you the rest of the way."

Hayate looked at her, a little surprised, "You are not escorting us in?"

Sergeant Maunders grinned, and shook her head, "Not allowed in there, ma'am, and glad of it. The folks in there are a little strange, and whatever they're doing in there gives me the wiggins. Just head straight over to that hatch, the specialist there'll take you to Colonel Hughes."

They were met at the hatch by a young man in uniform, only a little older than Hayate, who nodded, politely and waved them in. The hatch itself was barely open enough for one of them to squeeze through at a time, and Hayate paused as Shamal preceded her through the narrow space, frowning at the foot-thick metal door. The disturbing sensation she had felt as they approached the base had progressed to actively sickening, once the hatch opened.

She indicated for Shamal to lead the way in the specialist's wake, hanging back slightly to both reinforce the basic defenses she maintained at all times, which were showing surprising signs of instability, and to try to track down the source of the sensation. The latter task proved simple enough, as the vertigo-inducing sensation was coming from the center of the building. What was significantly more difficult was reinforcing her shields. The deeper into the building they progressed, the more her defenses destabilized, despite her reinforcing them. None of them were in danger of actual collapse, but she could tell they would fail long before she came into the presence of the disturbance.

_Shamal,_ she sent telepathically, _I know what this is._

She sensed an instant of shock from the other woman, _Already? That cannot be good news._

_It isn't,_ Hayate agreed, _it's a dimensional dislocation. One buried under so much steel, concrete and lead that it slid beneath the sensor nets. This is going to be complicated._

Fortunately, they appeared to reach their destination long before coming close enough to the dislocation for Hayate's shields to be completely destabilized, and she managed to build some more substantial protections, ones that should last until she had the peace and quiet to focus on building better. She was not so distracted that she did not notice that, as they proceeded deeper into the building, they passed through layer after layer of lead and steel, crude insulation that sheltered the rest of the world from the side-effects of what the building contained.

The chamber they were let into was in keeping with the building's bunker motif, low-ceilinged, concrete walls covered in cork bulletin boards, heavy multi-workstation desks arrayed in arcs facing a wall full of large displays, and a multitude of florescent lighting. It was surprisingly noisy, men and women in uniform talking, even shouting, at each other, trying to be heard over the air-conditioning fans and each other. They were mostly clustered about a set of workstations at the far end of the room, completely oblivious to their visitors.

While their escort threaded his way through the desks to the crowd, Shamal and Hayate stopped at the door, and she took a few moments to study the main monitors. Most of them were filled with simple progressions of data, information she did not feel like deciphering then and there. But one of the monitors was quite obviously set to display the anomaly, and that drew her attention quite easily. It was smaller than she had expected, judging from the door visible in one side of the image, only a few meters across, rather than the massive construction both Colonel Hughes and the building itself had implied. It was also oddly beautiful, a multi-colored structure of light, like a three-dimensional kaleidoscope made real, whirling and shifting madly.

"Sorry for not greeting you myself, ladies," Colonel Hughes apologized as he strode over, and Hayate had a moment to take his measure. He was surprisingly close to what she had expected – a bookish but fit man in later middle age, thinning brown hair going to gray, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and an intelligent spark in his eyes. He went straight to Shamal, extending a hand, "Welcome to Fort Tessla, Miss Yagami."

"Thank you, Colonel," Hayate replied with a smile, reaching out from the side to shake his hand.

He looked surprised, then the welcoming smile shifted to a wry grin and he squeezed her hand. "Apologies, no one gave me any descriptions."

"Understandable, Colonel," Hayate allowed, then gestured to her right, "This is Shamal, one of my Knights."

The two shook hands, then Hughes gestured for them to take a seat, snagging a third chair for himself. He gestured at the central display, and explained, "_that_ is our inexplicably anomalous anomaly. It doesn't normally look like that, it's far more active than normal, which is why I had you brought straight here instead of to my office. I've been here for the last three hours, ever since it went crazy." He waved at the argument still raging on the far side of the room, "That hulabaloo is trying to decide who's least likely to be wrong, regarding why this thing suddenly became more active. I have a synopsis report prepared for you, if you'd prefer to start with that, and frankly I'd like to break up that argument and have them all try explaining what we know to someone else for a change."

"Actually, Colonel," Hayate said, "I already know what it is, and why it has become active, and how to deal with it."

He blinked at her, obviously surprised and doubting she could answer his questions so readily. "Oh?"  
She smiled gently, "I am not boasting, Colonel, but I have encountered phenomena such as this before. It is what we, and our associates and allies, term a 'stable class two dimensional dislocation'. In simplest terms, it is a rip in reality, a place where the normal rules which govern creation have been replaced. Such events are usually tremendously devastating, collapsing in on themselves and releasing terrible amounts of energy. A few manage to achieve, as yours appears to have done, enough stability to last, though the continued expansion you mentioned is indicative that what is truly happening is that its collapse has been delayed and extended."

"A collapsing dimensional instability?"

Hayate was impressed by his easy tone. She had expected disbelief, but he appeared to be seeking clarification, not questioning her conclusion. Still, his specific terms were incorrect, and she was too much a teacher by now to let that slide. "Not an instability, a _dislocation_. An instability is what occurs before a dislocation, when the laws of creation begin to break down. A dislocation is the after affect. Like, oh, heavy rains preceding a flood. The first is not the second, and is not necessarily followed by the second, but the second cannot occur in the absence of the first.

"You were exceedingly fortunate, Colonel. Whatever happened to create this, it should have collapsed immediately. Given its age and current size, I would hazard to guess that, had it acted in a normal manner, it would have released energy equivalent to a rather large nuclear warhead, with worse attendant side effects. Effects that my people would have been cleaning up within a matter of hours.

"The agency I worked for over the last decade is dedicated to preventing these things from forming, and to repairing the damage they cause when they do occur. As such, I have quite a lot of experience with them, and because this one is stable, we should be able to repair it. As for what it is reacting to, I am afraid that would be me. The... manner in which we arrived, and the specific capabilities that allow for that mode of transport, are similar, in gross terms, to your anomaly."

"Well, I'm glad someone seems to know what this is," he said slowly, obviously thinking rapidly. "I would appreciate it if you could write up a more detailed report, possibly explain it to the rest of my team? We'll have to see after that whether or not to clean it up, once we..."

"Excuse me, Colonel," she interrupted, "but I'm afraid you are wrong. There is no question of leaving it intact. In fact, as of right now, I intend to be rid of it by sundown tomorrow, if not sooner." He turned to look at her, not quite glaring, but obviously not liking what she had just said. "Colonel, would you leave an unexploded mine in a schoolyard the hour before classes begin?"

"Or course not!"

"That is no different from leaving this un-repaired. This is not something to be studied and debated, it needs to be _fixed_. It may be stable now, but ten minutes from now it may not be, and now that it has reacted to my presence, it is probably destabilizing as we speak. You may wish to study it, learn more of how it was formed and how to prevent or repair them in the future, but we cannot afford to do that. The Bureau's knowledge was built up over millennia, Colonel. Millennia of prevention and repair, millennia of loosing lives cleaning up after those who thought to study or, worse, attempt to harness dimensional dislocations. I may have retired from the Bureau, but such tasks are still my responsibility."

He looked at her for a few more moments, then sighed, and nodded. "Sorry, again, I guess. I did not mean to imply we would do nothing, but... the Army is, for all its military nature, part of the Federal Government, and we're used to doing things in order, by committee, especially research teams like mine. I'm so used to this thing being here that I have trouble thinking it could be dangerous."

"It is very dangerous, Colonel," Shamal offered, "we have encountered many such events, and they are never anything but dangerous."

"Would it have to be as... flamboyant... as South Africa was?"

Hayate blushed slightly, "That was not our intent. We have no desire to attract attention, Colonel, but there were already television crews there. I'm afraid we will probably have to make some alterations to the building, in order to have room to work, but it will not be that obvious, especially as access to this base appears to be restricted."

"Would you still be willing to give us a report, explain some of what you're going to be doing? My people would appreciate it, given how long they've spent studying this thing."

"Certainly, Colonel, though..."

"I know it's magic, Miss Yagami," he said, smiling at her again. "Magic's not so hard to believe in, after South Africa, and if you can demonstrate it here, I'll be more than happy to admit it exists. Oh, some of the others will scoff, I'm afraid that's cultural. Americans are far too practical to believe in such fanciful things. But Occam's Razor should apply, and if nothing else can explain how this thing came to be or went away, we'll accept magic."

While Colonel Hughes went to break up the debate, Hayate turned her attention back to the anomaly, and contact Shamal mentally. _I think I will leave this to you and Reinforce,_ she said. _Stable dislocations always affect me more than normal ones, or mere disturbances. I will handle containment, but I do not believe I will be able to maintain my spells' stability long enough to cleanse this._

_I understand,_ Shamal replied calmly, _This is only a class two, Mistress. Reinforce or I could handle it, the two of us combined should have no difficulties, though this will be delicate and time-consuming. Shall we carry on while you edify the doubtful? If we do, we should be able to wrap this up tomorrow evening with time to spare._

_Certainly, Shamal, and thank you._ The crowd was moving down the room now, still half-heartedly muttering amongst themselves, but most of their attention now on their outré visitors. Hayate decided to be unsubtle, for a change, to make sure she had their full attention. She even promised herself not to feel too amused at any surprise they might display. Pulling out the double-pendant, she cupped it in one hand, and asked, "Reinforce, please wake and appear. I have need of you."

------------------------------

Cidela settled to the snowy ground next to one of the concrete columns as quietly as she could, well prepared to simply wait, strengthening Niranjana's warming spell a little. She settled the book in her lap, but set aside her plan to study, Saturday or not, in favor of watching Laura and Signum, both in sweatpants and T-shirts and sweating rather more than was good for them in the chilly November air. The duo appeared to pay her no attention. They were both focused on each other with a palpable intensity, in mirror-image poses, left fists leading over straight left leg, right fist back at shoulder height over right foot, right knees bent out to the side.

She was not certain which of the two moved first, though logic told her it was probably Laura. The impatient girl lacked Signum's steady patience, and what little Cidela knew of martial arts included the fact that more experienced practitioners always waited for their opponent to move first, though she was uncertain why that was. Still, logic could not speed her vision, and the two sprang into motion with little warning, moving together with a fluid speed that was beautiful to watch.

The sparring match was not long, only a few minutes, but Cidela found herself enjoying it. Signum-sensei had clear advantages in size, strength, and obvious experience. She moved with a smooth precision that was deceptively calm. She appeared to have chosen a spot to defend against Laura's assault, turning with her student but never moving more than a meter or so in any direction. Laura, in contrast, was in constant motion, lacking Signum's easy grace, but exhibiting in full the speed and energy she was infamous for. She was in perpetual motion, rolling from strike to strike and from fall to counter. Cidela winced at a few hits Signum landed, often sending the smaller girl sprawling, but Laura just rolled with each of them, bouncing back as if insensate to the pain. Cidela almost wished she could mimic that ability to ignore hurts and discomfort, while at the same time she could feel her magic tingling, itching to heal the bruises and scrapes.

Despite being able to appreciate what she was seeing, Cidela could not track more than a quarter of what was going on, and she knew it. Signum and Laura were moving at full speed, exchanging attacks and blocks with what looked to her untrained eye to be wild abandon. Cidela simply had no frame of reference, no experience, to track what was going on, other than to understand that Laura was significantly better than she would have expected.

Then Levantine chimed, the blade buried deep enough in one of the concrete pillars ringing the field to stand on its own, and Signum and Laura both froze in mid battle. From her position at the edge of the ring, Cidela could tell that Signum was breathing heavier than normal, and that her heart-rate was up, just enough for a good workout. Laura, in contrast, was panting heavily, her heart-rate through the roof, and Cidela could see her hands quivering ever so slightly, like she was just on the edge of pushing too far.

The two moved back a pace or two, and bowed to each other formally. When they straightened, they walked over to Levantine, and while Signum pulled her device free, Laura picked up a pair of water bottles and towels, handing one of each to her sensei. The two of them conversed quietly for a few more minutes, walking circuits of the ring. Signum nodded to Cidela as they made their first pass, but gestured for her to stay seated. From what she could hear, Cidela thought they were discussing the sparring match, but the terms were too far outside her knowledge, and she heard too little of the conversation, to understand any of it. She could not see what the direction your foot was pointing had to do with how hard you could kick, or how accurate your punch was.

Finally, once their cool-down was finished, they stopped next to her. Laura dropped into a loose sprawl, leaning against the column, while Signum merely crouched down. "Cidela, thank you for arriving early."

"It's all right, sensei," she answered, "that was pretty to watch."

Signum's mouth twitched a little, and Cidela thought she might have been amused at the tepid description. "We'll try to make this next bit more interesting. I wanted to work with you two girls on your sensory abilities. You both detected Takashi despite his stealth shields, and since he's on campus today, we'll use him as a guinea pig."

Laura waved one hand in a pathetic imitation of raising it, "Ano, didn't Noah pick up on him, too?"

Signum nodded, "Hai, but we're not sure how. Even he could not describe anything more than a vague sense of 'something there'. His abilities are geared towards force effects, not sensing or healing as yours are, so I'm afraid he gets to relax in the regular class, while the two of you are stuck with me this afternoon.

"Cidela, we'll start with you, since you are going to have the more complicated method. Shamal would be better at explaining this, and I recommend you talk to her about it the next chance you get, but in essence, I want you to locate and distinguish Takashi's life-force. You'll have to sort him out from everyone else, and I can't guarantee where he'll be, since he only agreed to be 'on campus'. Start here, feel the magic, get a sense for Laura and I, then start working your way back towards the school. Shamal tells me you've done this with her before in the workrooms, but what we're trying now is to push further, get greater range, but retain as much accuracy as possible."

Cidela nodded slowly, remembering the lessons with Shamal on differentiating the life signs around her. Those lessons had mostly been aimed at control, how to separate what was 'her' from what was 'someone else', which went a long way towards keeping her healing gift from triggering uncontrollably. "I can do that, I think. I'm not sure I can reach that far, but..."

"Don't think about it, just try," Signum told her. "The more you doubt that you can do something, the more likely it is that you will fail. Try, reach as far as you can, then try to reach just a little further. I'll be right here, keeping an eye on you. If you try to go too far, I'll catch you."

Cidela nodded again, but settled for that answer. She settled back on her knees and let her eyes drift closed as she ran through one of Aria-sensei's mental-focus exercises. Unlike her classmates, she needed that mental cantrip not to awaken her senses, but to focus them, for her magical senses appeared to always be active. Once she arrived here and began truly waking her gift, those senses had sharpened rapidly, though their range had always been limited, compared to her classmates.

Now, she stretched out the magic, feeling it connect with her teacher and classmate, the dormant grass beneath her legs, every living thing within a handful of meters. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying, a sense of vibrant life that reassured her by its mere presence and resilience, but could turn on her, or be damaged by her mistakes, so very easily. But she had done this before, under gradually less and less controlled circumstances, with Shamal's supervision, so those feelings merely rolled through her and settled into the back of her mind.

Laura was simple enough to localize, even to magical senses she radiated a shivering intensity, like every cell of her body was just as hyper as she was. Cidela could sense not just her energy, but how tired she was, and the scrapes and bruises from sparring. She could also sense a few minor muscle strains, not even enough to qualify as injuries. They would be healed naturally by morning, but Cidela could still feel her gift trying to fix them _now_. It took an act of will to move on without doing anything, but her orders from Shamal had been explicit.

Signum was, like all the Wolkenritter, more difficult to sense. Part of it was apparently basic personal shielding they maintained, but Cidela, more than anyone else in her class, knew that they were not 'normal', and the manner of their creation left them strange to her senses. This time, it was curiosity that made it difficult to move on, but she doubted Signum would appreciate being examined, however distantly, without permission.

By the time Cidela was ready to try to reach further than Signum, she could hear her teacher telling Laura what her task in this special session was to be, but paid it no mind. She tried at first to simply reach for the nearest building, the class building, where even on their days off some of her fellows would be working on their own projects. She could not manage to make that leap, though, and struggled with it for a moment, before altering her tactics. Instead of one long stretch, she went for a short one, just beyond Signum, to some of the grass and weeds in the field between the training area the class building. Then again, just beyond those, and so on, until she began to encounter more complicated life signs.

She spent several minutes studying the first person she found. At this range, a few dozen meters, the clarity she was used to simply was not there. She was fairly certain she would be able to distinguish any gross damage or disease, had any been present, but determining who she had found, based solely on magical senses, was surprisingly difficult. Eventually she managed to determine that it was Ichigo, and that he was on the first floor, but he was not her objective, so she moved on after that.

She found several other classmates in short order. Allina, Megan, Toshirou, Niranjana, all in or near the class building. Niranjana actually caught her 'looking', and pushed back for a moment, but then returned to what she was doing, just a little harder to detect. Cidela took the warning in stride, and did not try to scan her anymore, just started looking for someone further. She was honestly surprised she could detect _anyone _at this range, but she had yet to find Takashi.

It took her another twenty minutes of searching, feeling the strain of reaching far enough to vaguely sense the people in the Library, before she realized where he probably was. The workrooms, even those not in use, maintained solid shields at all times, and if he was in one, with his own shields layered on top of those, she would probably never be able to locate him. So she drew her attention back into herself, carefully retracing her path and slowly releasing the energy she had been using to sustain her search. When her eyes fluttered open again, she found she was lying down on the snow, her head cradled in Signum's lap.

Cidela blinked up at her for a moment, but before she could speak, Signum put a finger to her lips, then pointed towards Cidela's feet. Following the gesture as she sat up again, Cidela found Laura in lotus position, back still against the concrete pillar, eyes closed, breathing surprisingly even, considering how recent her workout had been. Laura came out of her own trance shortly, however, seeming to bounce just by opening her eyes.

"Well?" Signum's single word was a question and order all in one.

"I could reach as far as the Library," Cidela reported softly. Her mouth was dry, and her voice came out rather raspy. "Though I could not sense it very well, and I could not reach the dorm. But I could not locate Shimazu-san. I believe, if he is on campus, he is in one of the workrooms. Their shields are too strong for me to sense through."

Signum nodded slowly, "Logical, and a good effort. Congratulations on reaching that far, that is farther than most healers can sense at all, without a device. And what of you, Laura? You were in trance longer than Cidela, but should have been able to locate him quicker, especially as you've found him deliberately twice before."

Laura looked a little chagrined, then huffed once and shrugged. "He's in workroom seven, with R and R."

"'R and R'?"

"Riko-chan and rich boy. Both start with 'R', so..."

Signum just looked at her for a moment, then patently decided to change the subject and asked, "and you discovered that when?"

Another sigh, "about two hours ago, when I talked him into talking to them. On our..." she paused, then grinned mischievously, "... that 'teamwork' project the three of us are working on. We're not allowed to ask anyone here for help, but no one said anything about asking someone outside the school, so..."

Cidela blinked. If she had not known better, she would have sworn that was a flash of fear on Signum's face. "I do not think I approve of him helping any of you with anything. He will not be there for our second attempt. Did you find him, or just know where he was?"

"I found him," Laura said, "he makes the shields... resonate a little. They start to feel like he does, after a couple minutes."

"But you remained in trance after you found him, didn't you?"

"I didn't want to explain where he was," Laura replied with a shrug, "I know, small hope, but any hope's better than none, ne?"

"He's moved," Signum said, "let's try this again, shall we? Laura, I want you to try and follow Cidela, this time. After that, we'll swap and have Cidela try to follow you. Remember, stretch, but don't overstretch."

------------------------------

"I'll have to take my leave," Takashi commented suddenly, interrupting his own answer to one of Yussef's question, "Signum has found me, and would rather I was elsewhere on campus, not corrupting her Mistress' students."

Yussef felt a moment of fear, not terror, just the sudden thought that, so close to finishing, they might be caught. "Is she coming?"

Takashi glanced at him, then shook his head, "she is with Laura and another girl, using me for target practice, of sorts. I'll send an associate to continue answering your questions, but I'm afraid he's lacking in social graces. Be polite. He won't hurt you, but you may very well wish he had."

Before Yussef could comment on that, the man in black vanished, disappearing out of the sealed workroom without so much as touching a device. "How the hell does he do that? I can barely get the phone spell through these shields, and he _teleports_ through them like they aren't even there!"

"I don't think he was actually here, Yussef," Noriko countered, "or at least, he didn't teleport out. Remember the first time we saw him? Opening night?"

Yussef had to go looking for that memory. It had been a hectic few months, and he had not actually had a very good look at Takashi then. But after a moment he nodded, "Yeah, I see. He's a master of illusions, isn't he?"

Noriko nodded, "highly skilled, at least. Skilled enough to hide the opening and closing of a door from us, workroom shields or not."

"And skilled enough to hide sending me in his place."

Yussef thought, at first, that Takashi had returned, or not left in the first place. The man now standing at the door looked exactly the same. Same hair, same face, same build, similar clothes... everything looked just like Takashi. But the tone of his voice was too flat, his uniform was now white, and something in his eyes was just off, even for him. "Who would you be?"

"My name is Akira." He held up a hand to cut off further questions. "Takashi ordered me to answer your questions regarding device construction and Deva magic. That I will do. Further questions about myself, my master, or any topic but the two so ordered, I will ignore. What do you want to know?"

Yussef hung back, gesturing for Noriko to go first. He wanted a chance to study this newcomer, and also wanted to be prepared in case he tried something. Much as he respected Noriko's abilities, Yussef was rather more certain of his own abilities to defend the two of them, long enough at least to get Signum's attention.

"I've been researching how the linker cores get removed from their hosts and placed into Deva devices," Noriko said after a moment, also giving Akira a hard look, "and I'm finding a lot of inconsistencies, in what little information I can find. How exactly does that work?"

Akira cocked one eyebrow "Deva mages' linker cores are not removed."

Noriko blinked hard, an expression of utter shock for her, "What? But I've seen Hayate-sensei's old linker core in Reinforce, and every report I can find says they are!"

Akira shrugged, "nonetheless, the linker cores are not removed. They are part of the devices, yes, but there is no way to remove a mage's linker core short of killing them."

"But I've seen it! If they can't be removed, how can..." Yussef took his eyes off Akira when she trailed off, to see her eyes were huge, a slack expression of shocked comprehension on her face. "You don't transfer your linker core to the device," she said after a moment, "you integrate the device into _yourself_. It becomes a part of you, and so can carry your linker core separate from your physical form."

"Hence the reason no Deva mage is ever disarmed," Akira nodded, giving her a slight bow. "Even if separated from their device, they can simply reform it in hand. One of Lady Shimazu's more convoluted secrets. That is also why a Deva mage need not have their device in hand to cast spells through it – just as their device is part of them, they _are_ their own device. Which, conversely, leaves them susceptible to certain effects that devices are vulnerable to, though one would have to know of this peculiarity to exploit that weakness."

"Kami-sama that's disturbing," Noriko muttered, "making the device a part of yourself that deeply?"

"Agreed," Yussef commented, "but you're still going to try it, aren't you?"

Noriko looked at him blankly for a moment, then tilted her head slightly and shrugged. "Probably, but... yeah, second thoughts all around. I need to think this over."

"You mind if I ask the next question?"

"Go ahead," Noriko said, turning back to her own partially completed device, playing with a strand of hair that was faded back to dark green, but still was not completely black again. Laura, he remembered a little sourly, had chosen to retain the brilliant red color she had turned her own hair. Noriko did not start assembling anything, merely stood looking at it, lost in thought.

"All right then, Akira, here's a device question for you." He pulled up his design on his PDA, "I've had my fellow amateurs look this over, but I'd like a more expert opinion."

"I have never built a device," Akira told him, "nor has my master. His original device was provided by the Bureau when he completed his training as an officer. The Hellblade was provided by Lady Shimazu. However, I am familiar with the basic tenets." One white gloved hand extended, and the PDA floated over to it. Aira took a few minutes to study it, paging rapidly through the entire design, then floated it back to Yussef. "Interesting. Simple, but interesting. Your focus on the more combative aspects of magic is prosaic, but to be expected from a culture that values combat prowess as much as your does. Your device should function as designed, however you have already made an error in construction. May I?"

The man's voice was grating, it was so flat, so un-inflected, that every word was a condemnation, but not obviously enough to give Yussef a reason to take offense. _Something's just wrong about this guy,_ he thought, but nodded anyhow. If he had made a mistake, better to find it now, even if the one doing the finding was unpleasant. _If I can put up with Laura,_ he reminded himself, _I can put up with this guy._

------------------------------

The common room of the boys' wing was, unfortunately, separated from Lotte-sensei's suite by only a single door, which precluded any after-hours trouble-making in the only room in the wing large enough to hold all of them comfortably. So, by default, when Yussef decided to talk to the other boys in private, he told them to meet in his room. It made things a little crowded, especially the lack of seating, but the floor was carpeted, and it should not be for long.

Part of him was uncertain that this was a good idea. Having all of them in his room after lights-out was a good way to get caught, and unlike Laura, he preferred avoiding disciplinary action. But however good they were getting at the phone spell, there were things conveyed in face-to-face meetings that no merely vocal communication could convey. Expressions, postures, gestures, the complex mingling of those with tone and words, all were powerful methods of conveying information, of weighing a person's statements and intents, and Yussef wanted to be very sure the others understood his intent.

"Right, now that we're all here," he whispered as Mariachi slipped in behind Luke and closed the door, "I've got an idea to propose, and I didn't want to have to argue it out with the girls, or our teachers."

Ichigo, perched in his desk chair by virtue of having been first to arrive, asked, "How much trouble is this going to get us in?"

"Probably none, 'cept for this meeting," Yussef replied. "What I want to talk to you guys about is more in the way of a group project than any sort of misbehavior. But it's easy to misinterpret."

"What is this project?" That from Noah, on the floor leaning against Yussef's bed. "Also, why don't you want the girls in on this? I mean, I can understand Laura, but Noriko? Juliet?"

Yussef shook his head, "I don't want to involve them yet. Maybe eventually, yeah, but not to start. Call me whatever you like, I was raised to keep women out of combat, and our teachers aside, that's a tradition I see no reason to abandon."

That got a lot of raised eyebrows, though Noah was the first to repeat, "Combat?!"

"Combat," Yussef agreed. "We all know by now that someone's trying to get into this campus by nefarious means, and you've all got some idea from what happened to Noriko of just what sort of hardball Hayate-sensei's playing. Nothing wrong with that, mind you. After what happened to Laura, I've got no issues with her getting violent with whoever's doing this. Thing is, no defense is perfect. If whoever's out there is willing, they _can_ and _will _break through the school's defenses eventually."

"You're saying we're going to be attacked." Luke sounded more like he wanted to doubt that than that he actually did. "Kinda paranoid sounding, isn't it, mate?"

"I'm saying it's likely," Yussef countered, "and I, for one, want to be prepared for the worst."

"That being?"

"When an attack comes, the teachers are going to be very busy fighting it off. I'm confident they can do it, but it's going to be dangerous and difficult. At best, one of them is going to have to stand guard over all of us, which will mean one less fighting the attackers. At worst, we'll be spread out over the whole campus, and each of them will be tied down trying to protect whoever is closest to them, too busy to mount a counter-attack."

"You're making sense so far," Toshirou commented, "but what do you expect us to do about it? Sure, we know a couple attack spells and some shields, but you know what a difference in power level a device makes. None of us have one, and whoever attacks us is sure to have them."

"A device does make a difference," Yussef agreed, "but I don't think the lack of devices will make as much difference as you think." Part of him wanted to come right out and admit that three of them would have devices by the New Year. But that would not be politic right now, and might actually undermine his plan with the guys. "The reason I say that is something Takashi told Noriko and I today. Turns out, back when he worked the Bureau that Hayate-sensei used to work for, he was an instructor. He taught their combat mages, and he pointed out that the most effective mages were not the strongest, but those who worked well with others. Teamwork, in other words."

"What you, Laura and Noriko have been working on in secret these last couple of months," Luke commented.

"Sort of," Yussef prevaricated, rocking one hand slightly. "Our joint project has a rather specific purpose to it, more than just encouraging teamwork. What I'm proposing the seven of us work on does, however, include teamwork. I'd like all of us to get together, without telling anyone, one day a week, say Sunday. We'll grab one of the larger workrooms, and work on combining our attack and shield spells. My current thought is to divide into pairs, work together on combing our spells, with myself as ref. Once we're confident of each other, we work on mock combats, pair against pair with the other three all acting as refs, or maybe as three-on-three. After a while, we switch up the pairs and do it again, say a month with each pair, three meetings to train, one meeting for battles. After we see how those go, we can think about other steps, other methods. Regardless, if an attack comes, we will be able to look after ourselves, at least for a short while. Long enough to take the pressure of defending us off the teachers."

"Damn, sounds like you've been planning this for a while." That from Luke again, who was sounding less suspicious and more shocked.

"Since Kyoto," Marcel answered him, "the practice with the phone spell, the individual work on our busters and shields, those were his initial ideas, his first reaction. After that, he's been plotting out this, studying how far to go and how far we can go. Oh, I'm in, by the way, whatever the rest of you decide."

"What if the teachers catch us?"

Marcel shrugged, an eloquently fatalistic expression. "What if the sun rises? The teachers will catch us, that is a certainty. But what are we doing wrong? Training? There is nothing wrong with training. So it is a bit more dangerous than we normally engage in, it will not be true combat, just practice, pushing our skills on our own time. They might not be happy, but we won't actually be in trouble. At worst, I expect, they'll just tell us to stop. I think, given Signum-sensei and Vita-sensei, that it is more likely they will simply begin supervising us."

"Yeah, that's likely," Toushiro agreed, "Lotte-sensei'll do the same. Do you think we could maybe talk one of them into doing it from the get go?"

"It's an idea," Yussef said, "but I'd rather have a ready group together to present to Hayate-sensei first. This is, I think, just beyond the edge of what they would allow us to do if we asked. If we go ahead and do it ourselves, and they find out about it, they'll at least let us keep going, since we'll have demonstrated we'll do it anyway. As one of my brothers told me, it's often easier to beg pardon than gain permission." _No need to tell them how __Mother__ reacted to that theory,_ he added silently to himself.

"Vita," Mariachi muttered. When he did not say anything further, the others looked at him, long enough that he sighed slightly and explained, "Vita will do it. If we decide we're going to do this, I'll ask her. She'll take it as a challenge, probably, but she'll help. She's smarter than she looks, or acts."

"Let's get at least one session done before we start borrowing trouble," Yussef commented. "But on that note, who's in? I am, Marcel said yes, any of the rest of you? Anyone out?"

"I'm in," Mariachi said immediately.

Toushiro nodded, "Yeah, why the hell not?"

Noah shrugged, "It's worth a shot. We starting tomorrow?"

Ichigo and Luke took a few moments, trading a series of looks. Finally, the Australian nodded, "Yeah, I'm in. I'd rather get permission first, but yeah."

Ichigo sighed, "Well, tail-end Charlie's better than being all by my lonesome. But I'd feel a hell of a lot better if we were going to bring the girls in on this. Yeah, yeah, no girls in a combat zone, but they're all as good as any of us at magic, and considering the only male teacher insists he's the worst combatant of the bunch..."

"I'm not confidant we can do much with the whole class," Yussef said, "just because of coordination. I know I can keep you punks in line and focused, but not Noriko and Laura, and probably not Natalia or Allison. Ichigo and I are the only students here with even a little training in tactics, but that would not be enough to get the girls to listen. So for now, we'll do it my way. And to answer your question, Noah, yeah, we start tomorrow. I've got the main workroom signed out at two in the afternoon, officially so I can experiment with my own buster. We'll divide into teams then. For now, it'd probably be safest if we slipped back to rooms and get some sleep. I promise, we'll need it tomorrow night."

------------------------------

TheWhiteMonk: I've been planning to have Cidela's uncle host the 'kick-off' since I plotted out her family. Only reason I had him show up, actually. It is kind of amusing to have the US go hat-in-hand, so to speak, but the US military's always had a habit of going right for the best, so it makes sense they'd approach Hayate eventually.

Baughn: I am, in fact, downloading StrikerS fansubs now, as they become available. However, I've decided not to watch them until I've finished this story, since StrikerS will undoubtedly directly contradict quite a bit of what I've determined to be canon-for-this-story. Your conflict's quite a compliment, I hope I can keep up the standard.

Kell Shock: Laura wasn't so much 'branching out' as 'getting frustrated'. As Noriko stated, there'd been a number of attempted pranks that failed first, so Laura got more elaborate. The pressure should keep right on rising, unless I totally flub something. As for whether or not Hayate's expecting or in any way prepared for an attack… I'll tell you when the story's done, 'k?:)

CrimsonDX: It took me forever to decide what prank Laura was going to pull that would not have been out-of-character vicious. Re-coloring a girl's hair is bad, but not 'death before forgiveness' bad (I think?). Yussef's setting the stage for that student-vs-Circle fight, but I'm afraid it'll be a while. Yes, I've still got _more_ setup to do! On another note, it took me a good fifteen years to get up the guts to let someone other than family read my stories, and six months after finding FFN to dare, so don't feel rushed. If you want some pointers, let me know & I'll write something up & either post it or shudder PM it.

Sheo Darren: Luke's interest in Noriko was actually mentioned before (the chapter where Noriko brought Yussef into the device project) and provided a convenient way to turn him into Laura's cats-paw. Noriko's not a prankster, that's all Laura, and I'm not sure if it'll ever show up that clearly again, but it was a fun break. I didn't mean to sound preachy in my last reply, just that I understand the pressures of studying. & as I mentioned to CrimsonDX, fifteen years of solitary practice (though the concentrated effort here on FFN has done almost as much in less time).

Eni Li'Nave: I'm afraid the long lead time on each chapter's more due to my writing habits than 'life' (though that does occasionally play a part). I can't work on one story at a time, or each time I get stumped I wander off to do something else that isn't writing and not come back for days. I'll usually have two to four stories I'm actively working on, and just switch back and forth when one stumps me. It seems like a wasteful way to do it, but whenever I don't have several stories going I wind up not posting for months. As I mentioned to Baughn, I'm obtaining but not watching StrikerS. I made that mistake with my Naruto story RotG, deciding some things based on limited info for my fic, only to have the series later contradict me and leave my trying to incorporate and/or correct… It'll take me further from canon, but will be easier on my sense of continuity. The comment on Noriko's 'looking back' is a bit of a spoiler, I guess, but I didn't think it gave away that much, other than that she survives into the future. Wasn't even deliberate, to be honest, just how my brain put together the scene. As for Hayate not mentioning Fate as a confidant, Fate always struck me as a little too shy and a little too direct to be a 'confidant', but more of a 'backup' type, someone who'll be there when the hammer comes down. Not that Nanoha or the others aren't good backup, just that's the sort of role Fate best fits in my mind. The Circles are rigid, but also self-righteous, utterly convinced that they are right, hence their attitude towards Cidela's uncle. You don't want to know what my original ideas were for Laura's prank. The first three would've kicked this to an M rating and probably gotten me banned, I'm sorry to say, and giving Noriko green hair was the least vicious thing I could come up with that was in keeping with 'long delayed vengeance'. Noriko's usually pretty calm, so I won't say if there'll be payback, or what it would be, until it happens:). I considered using Area 51 at first, but it's such a cliché it would've just been too easy, and that felt like a cop-out, so I made up a base in Washington state. As for what caused the dislocation, I'm afraid that's classified. Thanks for reading, & reviewing!


	16. 16 Jadeed Zulfiqar

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 16 – Jadeed Zulfiqar -

Hayate replied to the greetings of her family politely as she walked into the house Monday evening, but most of her attention was focused on the couch, which she collapsed into with a grateful sigh. She was tired, the sort of pervasive tiredness that resulted from stress, rather than work, but still felt good. It had taken longer than she or Shamal had expected to repair the dislocation, but the work was done, and to their usual standards of excellence. The only trace the dislocation had ever existed was the bunker which had hidden it.

Hayate was slightly ashamed to admit that she had done very little of the repairs. That had been almost entirely Shamal and Reinforce, working in concert. To her had fallen the onerous task of explaining to a group of highly trained and very cynical scientists exactly what their 'anomaly' was, and what her Knight and Device were doing to repair it. While they had initially seemed inclined to accept her more basic explanation of dimensional manipulations, someone had brought up the dreaded 'M' word, and she had been forced to both defend and demonstrate her magic. That was the source of most of her tiredness, though she felt she had done a good job despite her audience's automatic disbelief.

Zafira, in full size canine form, was curled up to one side, but as soon as she sat down, he slid under her legs and turned himself into a warm padded foot rest. "Thank you, Zafira," she murmured, digging her bare feet into his fur for a moment. "What were you two watching, Singum?"

Signum, at the other end of the couch, looked at Zafira for a moment while he ignored her, then shrugged, and restarted the video clip. "Yussef's getting creative. He organized a boys-only training session yesterday. They were in Workroom One until just before dinner, and he ran them ragged. I was just watching the highlights from the surveillance systems."

Hayate was uncertain how to take that, and turned her own attention to the video. The idea of a training session was nothing special, but something in Signum's voice, an amused but wary overtone, told her there was more to it. On the screen, six of the boys were divided into teams – Noah and Marcel, Mariachi and Ichigo, and Luke and Toushiro. Yussef was walking from pair to pair, much as Lotte did in her classes. At first, she thought they were just working on their individual buster spells, as one member of each pair was shooting down-range at some of the automated targets.

Toushiro was the first to hit his target while she watched, and she sucked in a small surprised breath as the blast rebounded directly back towards him, and he made no move to defend himself. But the bolt hit another shield, dissipating in a flash, and Hayate understood. Luke was standing just behind Toushiro, and the dissipation pattern was characteristic of the Australian's shields, which relied on multiple flat surfaces that met at sharp angles, rather than the more usual spherical or circular shields. Toushiro did not even flinch, merely prepared and launched another bolt.

"Combat training," Hayate stated flatly.

"Hai," Signum answered steadily, "Yussef had some trouble at first, doing more than break them up into teams. I do not believe he actually thought through _how _to go about training the others to work together. This is about two hours in. They started with random attempts at combining spells, then he hit on the idea of the reflective targets Lotte showed them. At the moment, they trade off shielding and shooting. The shooter must rely entirely on the shielder for defense, and the shielder must alter their defenses to allow the shooter's bolt out, without allowing the reflection back in. Luke appears to be relying on his reflexes, Mariachi on pinpoint holes in his shield, and Noah on phasing his shields to match the original shot."

"That is very impressive," Hayate interrupted, temper rising slightly, "But I do not want them learning _combat_. This is a school, not a warship!"

Signum just stared at her for a moment, and even Zafira lifted his head, twisting around to give her a very similar look. Then Signum sighed slowly, and explained somewhat formally "I know you did not want them to be warriors from the start, Mistress, but events have progressed too far. The Circles have demonstrated too much cunning and too much persistence to just go away, and while I am confident we can deal with them in general, they have already demonstrated an ability to go after our students. Would you rather the children be unable to defend themselves, the next time someone attacks them?"

For just a moment, Hayate wanted to snap back at Signum. These were her _children _they were talking about, they did not _need_ to be able to defend themselves, because _she_ would defend them. But that idea was too obviously false, too obviously a product of hubris foreign to her, and a natural desire not to force others to pick up the weights she carried in her own youth. "Gomen, Signum-san," she said instead, "I just don't like this. They're children! They shouldn't have to plan on defending themselves against kidnappers and monsters."

"Tche, Riko's never been a 'child'," Vita muttered, walking out of the kitchen to hand Hayate a drink, "and Yussef's no better."

"Nor Cidela," Signum added, "nor Laura, save for her demeanor, though that is simply a more effective mask than most."

"They still should not have to fight," Hayate maintained, then held up a hand, "but if they do, better they know how. I did not object to Signum teaching Laura, I suppose I should not object to them trying to teach each other. But I do not like them doing this alone. They could very easily make mistakes, hurt themselves in training, or develop bad habits that hamper them in a real battle." She thought it over for a minute, debating, then cocked her head sideways, "Zafira, I believe you have the most free time out of all of us. Would you be willing to take this impromptu class in hand?"

The massive blue dog whuffed, then nodded and mentally replied, _Not a problem, Mistress. I'll borrow Lotte once in a while, and would appreciate a little help from Vita here and there. Should we involve the girls?_

"No, I do not think that would work," Signum said. "Too many of the girls are... rabid individualists. They would not do well with the sort of training Yussef has begun, or you will be conducting. Laura I am handling well enough. Allison knows how to protect herself physically, in a brutal sort of fashion..."

Hayate could not resist interrupting that, "What would you consider 'brutal', Signum?"

Signum shrugged, "She carries a collapsible staff, with a weight at one end. I believe it's called an 'asp'. Along with pepper spray, and she knows how to brawl. Not martial arts, but physical combat. Don't get me wrong, she won't last ten seconds against a true martial artist, but she can protect herself from street thugs, and I'll give her a little instruction to help her apply her magic to that."

"Lotte can probably handle the other girls," Shamal offered as she settled into one of the larger chairs. "I think Natalia and Juliet may know tricks like Allison does. Niranjana, Allina and Megan will be a problem, though. I don't think those three have any notion of how to fight."

Vita asked the question on everyone else's lips, "What about Cid-chan?"

Shamal just gave them a beatific smile, "I pity anyone who attempts to harm Cidela, even before her classmates find out about it."

The short red-head took offense at Shamal's seeming amusement, demanding, "What's that mean?"

"That means Cidela already knows enough not to need to fight. She can keep herself alive and free long enough for help to arrive, which is all we can really expect from any of them at the moment. And anyone who attempts to harm her is going to have fifteen very intelligent highly creative young mages chasing them to the ends of creation in very short order. It probably would not hurt to have Cidela work with Niranjana, Allina and Megan, but she can look after herself already."

For a moment, Hayate thought Shamal was going to mention the project she and Cidela had begun working on shortly after the Kyoto trip. She had cleared it with Hayate, naturally, but had wanted to keep it a secret, in part to surprise everyone, but also to protect Cidela if it did not work out. Not even Cidela knew just how far Shamal planned to take their project. But Shamal held her tongue, and shared a secret smile with Hayate. "We'll set up a separate class for the girls. Niranjana, Natalia, Allina, Megan, Allison and Juliet. Vita, could you take that?"

"Sure. Want me to focus on integrating their defenses? Only Laura and Noriko have put any special work into their offensive spells, but Megan and Niranjana have created some tough barriers. Sunday mornings, you think?"

"To balance the boys' Sunday afternoons? That sounds good. We'll want to combine the two once in a while, test them against each other, but that is something to be handled later."

Signum nodded, then smiled slightly, "After Yussef has finished his device, do you think? Or after all three of them have?"

Hayate contemplated that for a moment, reviewing what she remembered from the last time she had checked over the trio's progress. "He is, what, four weeks from finishing?"

"Two," Signum replied, "two weeks. While you were gone, Takashi spent a couple of hours helping Noriko and Yussef work on their devices. He disabled the monitors, so we've no idea what he told them, and can't ask, since you don't want them to know that _we _know about their project. But Yussef is now a little less than two weeks from finishing, Laura three to four, and Noriko four to six. Also, something he said appears to have shaken Noriko's confidence slightly."

Hearing that Takashi had spent that much time unsupervised with any of her kids was disturbing, but she had expected it. Hearing that he had somehow shaken Noriko, who up to now had seemed utterly immune to his disturbing presence, was more worrisome. "What happened?"

Signum shook her head, "nothing I can put my finger on, but she got very little done on her device yesterday, and spent no time on it today. She spent the entire day closeted in her room, accessing the databases from her PDA. Also, Takashi delivered the Deva device components to her, but she has not unpacked them. They remain in their shipping crate."

"That is surprising," Hayate murmured, casting back through her memories and the information Sarah's bequest had buried in her mind. The components which converted a normal device to a Deva device were simple enough to install, but fiendishly complex to activate. She was fairly certain they were impossible to activate without outside interference, which was the only reason she had allowed Takashi to deliver the components to Noriko in the first place. He would not activate them, not after she had ordered him not to. But Noriko had been so eager for so long to use anything related to Deva magic, Hayate had expected her to install those components as instantly as possible. "I wonder if he gave her any more details on how Deva magic works. He promised not to, but he may have slipped up." She tried to puzzle out what he could have revealed that would have thrown her second most confident student, but there was not enough information, and the rush of finally being home was wearing off. "Mah, we'll have to figure it out in the morning. Maybe I can find out from her the next time we talk. For now, I just want to relax and wind down a bit before going to bed."

------------------------------

The next two weeks were something of a trial for Yussef. The regular classes took on a rather more serious overtone as year-end exams crossed the one-month horizon. In addition to the regular classes, his Sunday course was formalized in a manner he had not expected, but which left him carrying most of the load. On top of both of those, his device came progressively closer to conclusion, and began having some rather unexpected effects.

The mundane courses were easy enough to deal with. Their work dealt primarily with solid facts, easily researched, easily memorized. Hayate-sensei's course was also relatively easy to prepare for, though what she taught was rather more flexible and far-reaching than any of the other science courses. Lotte-sensei's practical course was another matter, and most of the time he should have spent practicing for that course went into either his device, or his Sunday course. Still, he was fairly confident of maintaining his standing there through the exams, for both his extracurricular projects were proving quite good hands-on practice, if not in quite the same areas as Lotte-sensei was teaching.

His Sunday class was rapidly named by Ichigo as 'Small Unit Tactics 101', and to his horror, that name actually appeared on the school calendar by the Tuesday after their first meeting. Even worse, it was placed there by Zafira, who informed him during Phys Ed that he had until Friday to prepare Sunday's lesson plan, so Zafira could approve it. Having the teachers find out about and approve the sessions was fine, even having it turned into a semi-formal class was acceptable. Having them put the entire workload for it on _him _was an unwelcome surprise. He had been seriously hoping one of the teachers would take over so he could get some practice in, but that hope was in vain. Zafira had taken one look at his first lesson plan Thursday night, and promptly ripped it into very tiny pieces. He had at least given Yussef advice on how to proceed, but insisted that Yussef plan it out, that Yussef arrange for any materials, and that Yussef lead the class.

Their second Sunday, Yussef had half expected Zafira not to even show up. The Guardian Beast was there, but he merely watched with idle curiosity. Getting things rolling and keeping the other boys moving was left entirely up to Yussef. It had been trying, almost as much so as Laura, but by the time they finally broke for dinner, he had been feeling fairly good about it. Then, once the others were gone, Zafira had given him a 'short' lesson on what mistakes he had made, followed Monday by a more formal critique. Nothing in either had been insulting or degrading, but it had dampened his elation quite thoroughly. Even more effective had been the realization that, while the other boys were being graded on how they did in his class, he was being graded both by how well he performed in the lessons, _and_ by how well he taught the class, meaning his grade was dependant on how much the others learned.

For the first week or so after their meeting with Takashi, Yussef had actually felt rather good about how his device was progressing. Akira had actually pointed out several errors he had made, both in programming and in construction, and while they were small, tracking them down later when they revealed themselves, then correcting them, would have added weeks to months to his efforts, which meant he was now well ahead of Laura. Even better, as she had predicted, as more of the fundamental components were installed and the programming expanded, the nascent device _had _begun updating its programming automatically, even completing installation and calibration of some parts once he had them physically in place without requiring his input.

It was during the second week that he began to notice... weirdness. As they were leaving after moving their devices one night, he felt a strange tugging in his chest, one that lasted until the door closed. It was not debilitating, but it was disturbing. A few days later, he had closed his eyes to try and steal a minute of relaxation between classes, and found himself suddenly submerged in magical sigils and equations floating in the darkness behind his eyes. Then his magic became unsteady and unreliable. He knew from the first that it was related to his device, and Noriko had confirmed that it was beginning to create the interface and bond that would allow it to operate as an extension of his will, but it still made for a very unpleasant week. Noriko's explanation, that he was stretching out over days what most mages experienced in a matter of minutes when they first activated a device, did not help. He had always preferred getting unpleasantness over with, and that was doubly so in this case.

All of that, however, was now over and done with. Saturday evening, the first weekend of December, and it was finished. Lying on the table before him, an ungainly collection of parts around a central gemstone, was his device. Every part the design called for was in place, precisely where it was supposed to be, and every test was coming back positive.

"It's done," he finally admitted, though Noriko and Laura had both been watching him surreptitiously since he sealed the last panel three hours before.

"So light it up already," Laura demanded.

He shook his head, "not here. Your devices might react, and that would be a problem, yes?"

"The main workroom is empty right now," Noriko offered, "or at least, it should be."

"Sounds good to me," Yussef agreed, then quirked an eyebrow at Laura, "Want to make yourself useful and help me carry this thing, while Noriko gets the door?"

Laura snorted derisively, "I can't believe you, Mister Chivalrous demanding physical labor from a girl. You're a hypocrite is what you are."

"You don't even know the meaning of most of those words, ditz," Yussef shot back, "and I seriously doubt you qualify as a girl. Demon, maybe, but not a girl."

"Now is not the time, children," Noriko interrupted, "let's get this done before someone comes looking for us. Yussef, give Laura and I a minute to clean up. We'll call it for today once we see if your device works."

"Sounds good to me."

"Man, Riko-chan, why'd you have to go and stop me? I had this perfect setup and you..."

"Urusai, Laura-chan," Noriko muttered, already packing up her materials.

Laura managed not to make any more comments, and Yussef turned to as well, and they shortly had the workroom as straightened up as it could be. Then, with Yussef and Laura carrying his device, Noriko led the way to the main workroom, checking to be sure both the hallways and the workroom itself were empty. The device was almost as heavy as it looked, and really did need two of them to move, but even worse, its ungainly structure was unwieldy and imbalanced. If he had not had the example of Hayate-sensei's devices and the rest, he would have seriously doubted that this _thing _could ever be useful.

They set the device on the floor a few meters inside, then Laura and Noriko backed off to stand by the door. For a few minutes, Yussef just crouched next to it, contemplating. "We're supposed to have a pass-phrase," he said, more thinking aloud than asking questions, "but I never programmed one."

"The device already has one," Laura said, "from what it's learned of you while it was calibrating. All you have to do is reach inside and find it. It's something unique to you, an expression of yourself, that your magic resonates with."

"Something the magic resonates with, huh?" He nodded, feeling a vague understanding of what she meant. He rested a hand on the gemstone, then closed his eyes, turning his attention inwards, entering trance as they had been taught to do when they needed focus. He found the stillness at his own center, and listened there, finding the key to his power.

"Always with courage," his voice came as a surprise, but he continued, still in trance. "Ever with honor. The sword of my people, for defense of innocent from the guilty! Zulfiqar, set up!"

There was one more moment of ringing silent stillness.

Then the world exploded around him. Something intruded on his consciousness, taking an imprint from him, becoming part of him in an exhilaratingly alien gestalt. He _felt_ his device awaken, felt the programming take hold, the dimensional pocket form, the energies coruscating from him to it. He felt the moment the calibrations completed, felt the flowing metal form into his hand, felt the gestalt deepen until it reached his linker core, and more power than he had ever dreamed of channeling flowed through him, a raging torrent that Zulfiqar chained and directed to his will.

When his vision cleared again, he found himself still crouched, but the ungainly collection of components was gone. Instead, resting lightly in his hands, was a massive broad-bladed sword, shining that peculiar color of hardened steel. A two-handed etched-metal grip, thirty centimeters at least, was caped by a flat disc pommel, stamped with his family crest. The crosspiece was a simple but heavy band of metal, almost as wide as the grip was long. From that rose two single-edged blades, rooted in a large blue gemstone ten centimeters across, spines parallel, edges out from each other, forming a forked blade about a meter long that should have been heavy, but felt light as a feather.

"Zulfiqar," he murmured, staring at it in more than a little awe. _I didn't think it would actually work,_ he thought, stretching his magic a little to test it and that far easier than it ever had been before. "Named after the Prophet's sword, a reminder of the standard I must live up to."

"It is a thing of beauty, Yussef," Noriko complimented him, "dangerous looking, though."

"I am a soldier, Noriko," he replied, "I need to look the part. I'm sure I can find someone around here to teach me how to use it, though. But first, Zulfiqar, grant me my armor."

"Yes, Lord," Zulfiqar answered him, which was a surprise, in a deeply masculine voice speaking perfect Arabic. The pull on his magic was stronger this time, but still there was no sense of strain, just the flow of energy through him into his device. Feeling the spell form, he and Zulfiqar ordered in unison, "Ward of Honor."

The power swirled around him for a moment, and he could feel it reshaping his clothes and the very air around him. When the blue shine cleared, it felt like he was almost unencumbered, but he instinctively knew he was better protected than any warrior in history. His sneakers, jeans and shirt were gone. In their place, he had loose flowing pants of off-white tucked into black boots, an equally loose shirt of the same color under a tight solid grey leather vest composed of wide horizontal bands, with slightly-flared shoulders. Again, his family crest appeared, just over his heart, and two more pieces of leather with the same symbol were strapped around his wrists, holding his billowing sleeves closed.

"I look like a Bedouin raider," he muttered, uncertain if he was pleased or insulted. It was certainly comfortable, and left him with plenty of freedom of motion, but he was no Bedouin, however fearsome their reputation.

"You look cool," Laura countered, "almost like you actually know what you're doing. Lemme test something."

He looked up to tell her 'no', only to see a bolt already leaving her hands. She was less than four meters from him, so he had no time to react, only enough to think, _this is going to hurt_, and for his reflexes to begin a counter. Then Zulfiqar announced, "Shield of Faith," and a slowly rotating ring of blue sigils appeared, a vertical barrier Laura's shot struck, detonating in a flash.

"Laura!"

"What? He used the basic programs, they included auto-defenses, I wanted to see if it would work! His armor was up, that little bolt wouldn't've hurt him any."

Noriko opened her mouth to reprimand her friend again, but Yussef growled out, "Laura, take a look at where my hands are." The two girls looked at him, specifically at Zulfiqar, half around his body from them. "You're enough of a martial artist to realize how close I just came to cutting you in half. Don't ever shoot at someone who is armed without warning them."  
"Tche,I knew you wouldn't actually hurt me," Laura replied, "but fine. In my defense, if I'd warned you, the auto-defense wouldn't have kicked in, your armor would've taken it."

"Not the point, Laura," Noriko said, then repeated, "he could have cut you in half from pure reflex. If he had done it to you, I'm fairly sure you _would _have cut him down."

"Fine, fine," Laura waved a hand in surrender, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. What I can't believe is that I didn't even scratch it! I mean, that wasn't the strongest shot I can throw, but damn! That's an emergency shield, a reflex, not a real defense, and the damn thing barely even noticed my bolt. That's some serious power there, Yussef."

"It's a device," he reminded her, hefting the blade to consider it. "Let's see how much of a difference it makes with spells we already know." He turned his attention inwards again, and spent a few moments remembering every spell he had learned since September. He could actually feel Zulfiqar in the back of his mind, storing those spells and calibrating them for the greater power now at his disposal. When he opened his eyes again, he ordered, "Flight."

Zulfiqar's response was, "Desert Wind."

Just that simply, he was airborne, spiraling up towards the roof far more rapidly than he had ever expected, fast enough that he cried out in surprise, and reflexively tried to lunge back from the ceiling. That reaction caused him to spiral downwards, but before he hit the floor he managed to stabilize in mid air. He floated there for a minute, letting the adrenalin rush fade, noting the twin blue spirals beneath his feet, then muttered, "That was a _lot _faster than I expected."

"You all right, Yu-chan? Thought for a second you were gonna splatter yourself all over the ceiling." He glared down at Laura, but she just grinned up at him, and gestured. He caught the flicker of power as she accessed the room's programming, and targets appeared further down the workroom. "Show us what you got, rich boy."

"Ten minutes," Noriko called up to him, "Then we'd better get out of here, or we'll risk getting caught."

Yussef nodded, then hefted Zulfiqar. _Ten minutes,_ he thought, _what's more important to test, control or power?_ An easy enough decision, actually. "Zulfiqar."

"Yes, Lord."

"Buster Cannon."

"Yes, Lord!"

He settled the blade, lining up the twin points on the central target, and felt the power flowing again. Buster Cannon was the strongest expression he could manage of the first attack spell Lotte had taught them. He was quite familiar with how close to his limits the spell pushed him, so he figured it would be a good test of his limits now. The pull of the power was different, however. The way it flowed through him and shaped itself into the spell was _very _different, and a part of his mind noted that they had a problem, since Lotte-sensei would notice that in a heart-beat.

Before he could comment on it, the spell peaked, he could feel when it was ready. The energy was crackling along the blade, sparks and streamers of energy leaping from fork to fork as they flowed to the tip, where a pinpoint of brightness formed. "Zulfiqar, _fire_!"

The last time he had used this spell, in his Sunday class, the bolt that shot from his joined hands was maybe a meter long, a couple centimeters in diameter, and had actually packed enough punch to take down the first stage shield on the workroom. Sure, Lotte-sensei had explained those shields were for 'incidentals' – leaking power, flare from disrupted spells, and the like – but it was the first time _he _had managed that, and the energy readings she had shown him had been on par with the heavy infantry weapons he was familiar with.

Now, with Zulfiqar in hand, the blast was as wide as the twin blades and twice as long as he was tall. It passed through the target as if there was nothing there, shredding the delicate structure easily, and roared down-range, a crackling blue-white destroyer that was blatantly more powerful than anything Lotte-sensei or Zafira had demonstrated. It was on the same scale as what the device-wielding teachers had shown, though he was uncertain how close to their strength he came. The bolt struck the far wall of the workroom, detonating in brilliant flash of light, a shower of sparks, and a ripple of rainbow light as the first and second stage shields failed.

Most frightening of all, he barely felt the pull of the spell, almost no drain. He certainly did not feel winded, as he had the Sunday before.

Noriko's voice broke him out of his surprised reverie, "That's it, time's up! They'll have to come check _that _out, and we better not be here when they get here."

Yussef could only nod, diving for the floor. Just before he landed, he ordered, "Zulfiqar, storage mode."

The device chimed once, replied, "Yes, Lord," and flared brightly for a moment. When the light cleared, a wide leather band was wrapped around his right wrist, with a blue disc set in its back.

"Damn, he almost sounded sad," Laura laughed. "Who knew a device could have its own personality that fast?"

"Brand new, just awakened, and I've already put him away again," Yussef replied, noticing only after he said it that he had already identified Zulfiqar as more than just an object. "Not surprising that he wants to do more. So do I, but Noriko's right."

They slipped out of the workroom, then out of the building, quietly talking over both his success, and how far Laura and Noriko were from completing their own devices. Yussef was fairly certain they managed to pull off a believable imitation of three students running to dinner from a late study session, rather than the rule-breakers fleeing the scene of their misbehavior.

Just before they walked into the cafeteria, however, Noriko pulled him back. "Yussef, I'm not sure of how to ask this politely, but I need to know. Will you still be willing to help Laura and I?"

He blinked at her for a second, not understanding why she was asking at first. Then he realized, _she's worried I'll ditch them, now that I've got my device._ "Yes, Noriko, I'll still help you. Maybe not Laura, but you certainly. You brought me into this when you didn't have to, I'm not going to abandon you just because my design wasn't as ambitious."

"Thank you, Yussef," Noriko replied with a small smile, "I appreciate that."

He shrugged, "It's a matter of honor. You helped me, I owe you the same sort of assistance."

------------------------------

Watching from the window of a darkened classroom on the first floor as Noriko and Yussef disappeared into the dorm building, just beside the entrance to the building, Signum commented, in a somewhat amused voice, "Well, Mistress?"

"No need to say 'I told you so', Signum," Hayate was equally amused, despite her reply.

"I didn't say that, Mistress."

"But you were thinking it very loudly. I'm a big girl, though, and can admit when I was wrong. It's time we took those three _fully_ in hand."

"About time," Vita muttered. "Have you looked at any of those spells Laura's designing?"

Hayate gave her a curious look, "Spells?"

"Laura's been designing some theoretical spells," Signum told her, then shifted to lean against the wall, "for once her device is completed. You're worried about the Positron Beam, aren't you, Vita?"

"Of course I am! That fool girl doesn't really understand what a difference a device makes. Her calculations on its output are all wrong!"

"I'm more interested in the one she's labeled 'cat in a box'. I'm not sure I understand the theories it is based on, but if it works... quite an interesting concept."

"You'll talk to her tomorrow," Hayate asked?

"Yes. She'll be a little unhappy at losing a sparring opportunity, but I don't think she'll mind a chance to show off." Signum shrugged, "During the afternoon, I think, while the boys are busy."

"I'll take Noriko aside in the morning, then," Hayate decided. "But what about Yussef? Zafira, you have the best rapport with him, but you never trained with a device. Vita, you have the device, but don't have Zafira's relationship with Yussef. So, which of you would like to take him on?"

Zafira shrugged, "I know devices well enough, Mistress. I've been around device-wielders for centuries. I can handle him."

"Better Zafira than me," Vita agreed readily enough, "He's already got the punk's trust, which I'd have to earn. To dangerous to do when you're going straight into device training. I'll lend a hand, as usual, but... not Yussef. Mariachi, Megan, Niranjana, sure. Not Yussef."

"All right. Zafira, could you take him aside tomorrow, do you think?"

"After his class," Zafira said calmly, "give him a chance to get used to how the device changed his magic."

Hayate looked back towards the dorm, smiling again, "They're not going to have a very good day tomorrow, are they? You all go on up and have dinner, Shamal should be just about finished. I'll be along once I've reset the workroom's shields."

The other relaxed ever so slightly, and Signum nodded. "All right, Hayate. We'll wait for you to start, so please don't take too long."

------------------------------

One of the aspects of life in the dorm which had taken Noriko the longest to get used to was the lack of servants. It was not that she was averse to doing things for herself, but she simply was not used to it. While meals were created by a nice elderly couple that lived in a small house at the far end of the valley, and the 'public' spaces were cleaned by the same couple, the students were expected to keep their own rooms clean, and also to clean up any dishes they used. She was just cleaning up from her breakfast Sunday morning, contemplating the differences Yussef's device had made in his available power, when Hayate approached her. "Noriko-san, could I talk to you for a little while?"

Noriko looked up from her dishes, then nodded, stacking them to one side. It was a little surprising, given that Hayate had now approached her a grand total of two times for their 'gossip sessions', as Laura called them, but Noriko had found she could tell instantly when Hayate sought her out for personal or school reasons. This occasion, from the Headmistress' tone, was not one of those 'gossip sessions,' which meant it was school work. "Certainly, Hayate-sensei."

"I noticed you are having a little trouble with some of your practical work, and wanted to give you some advice on it, if you don't mind. It should only take an hour or two."

"Certainly, sensei." Noriko could not really say anything else, could she?

She followed Hayate across the quad to the classroom building, but her teacher was unusually quiet as they walked. A couple attempts to get specifics from her were answered with only, "this isn't the place." So she followed Hayate into the classroom building, and down into the workroom area, still trying to figure out which of Lotte-sensei's lessons she was 'having trouble with'. For the life of her, she could not figure that out, since as far as she knew, she was not having trouble with _any _of the lessons.

Then Hayate stopped, and Noriko looked up, saw the number on the door, and felt her blood run cold. _The devices,_ she realized with a thrill of terror, _Oh, Kami-sama, they know about the devices. We're doomed._

Hayate waited a moment, then smiled at her, "Would you care to unlock the door, Noriko? I could, but the personal lock you placed on it would backlash unpleasantly."

Noriko sighed, hanging her head slightly. She could, she supposed, refuse to open the door. But Hayate could crack the lock with ease, and that would only mean she would have to deal with the backlash of a broken spell on top of having been caught. She reached out, touching a hand to the door, and touched the spells trigger-points in a specific pattern, draining the lock spell of its power. Then she triggered the permanent locks on the door, and pulled it open for her teacher.

"Thank you, Noriko-san."

The very normalcy of the tone jangled Noriko's nerves. Her teacher was far too calm, far too collected, but what could Noriko do but whisper, "You are welcome, Hayate-sensei."

"Don't look so depressed, Noriko-san," Hayate said as she entered the workroom, "I said I'm going to help."

That gave Noriko enough courage to follow her sensei into the workroom and secure the door behind her. Hayate walked over to Laura's device, perched on a table, and looked it over for a few moments while Noriko fidgeted at the door. Then she turned, smiled at Noriko, and gestured for the girl to join her at the other incomplete device.

Before she walked over, however, Noriko had to have a question answered. "H... how long have you known, sensei?"

Hayate looked up, and her smile grew slightly. "I'm afraid we knew the day Allina accessed the manual for device construction and handed it over to Laura. I must say, I was surprised you included Yussef, though I'm glad you did. The three of you are probably the most able to handle these, and we probably would have arranged for him to make a device as well."

"I thought... you said you weren't going to give us devices until..."

Hayate chuckled slightly, and gestured again for Noriko to join her. "Come over here where we can talk more easily," she ordered. Then she answered Noriko's question, "We did not intend to _give_ you devices until next year. To be quite honest, we were not certain what to expect from any of you as far as ability. I'm afraid that myself and those mages I am most familiar with are rather exemplary, and we did not want to pressure any of you to live up to our somewhat ridiculous standard. Also, I was not sure any of you could handle a device. The three of you managed to get this far essentially on your own, so I can't really object, but as Yussef proved yesterday, you have reached a stage where you need guidance in how to control the devices, so we can no longer just watch you."

"You've been watching us all along?"

"Hai."

That was... embarrassing. _We spent all that time and effort to keep them from catching us,_ she thought,_ and they knew before we even started. Kami-sama, they've been watching us all along, and we thought we were being so clever._

"Don't feel too bad, Noriko. Your efforts at secrecy were well intentioned, and based on rational decisions, but we keep too close an eye on _all_ the students for you to slip anything like this past us. Can you honestly blame us, given what you've seen Laura get up to?"

"No, I can't blame you," Noriko replied, then tried to push aside her embarrassment, her fear, and her shame. "Have you reviewed my design already, sensei, or do you need me to elaborate?"  
"I reviewed all three designs," Hayate confirmed.

For just a moment Noriko felt a thrill of anticipation and fear. She still had not managed to decide if Akira's information on Deva devices was disturbing or thrilling, if she really wanted to go through with this. _If she's reviewed all the designs, and let me get this far, let me get the Deva components..._

Then Hayate continued, and crushed that dawning hope, "I saw nothing that I'm not ready to let each of you learn about, though Laura's cartridge system is a little worrisome. The Deva components you... acquired... are capable of supporting the type, but won't initiate the alterations to turn you into a Deva Mage. Only Takashi and I can do that. So no, this does not mean I am going to start teaching you my personal form of magic. But, to continue on topic, I'm afraid I am not entirely up to date on how far you've gotten with construction. It looks like you have finished with the basic components, and are working on the esoteric ones. Correct?"

"That is correct, sensei," Noriko answered. "The Processor Core is fully functional, but..."

------------------------------

Yussef found that, despite his hopes, having a device actually made more problems for him, at least at first. He was fairly confident that, given a few days, his control would return to its pre-device levels. But the Sunday after activating Zulfiqar, he found that, even when it was in storage mode, _all_ his spells were channeled through it, and amplified. Even the simplest spell now required an incredibly fine degree of control over hair-thin flows of power, and he was forced to re-learn the feel of his magic activating all over again.

Which made him very glad that he was _teaching_ his class that day, instead of _participating_. It was the first time they were trying the 'mock battles', and with Zafira's help, he had scattered a number of obstacles around the main workroom, creating a convoluted terrain over which his six fellows would battle. He had three scenarios, and intended to put all three pairs through both sides of each, but if he had been forced to participate, he was fairly certain he would have embarrassed himself. He certainly frightened Ichigo, when the younger boy arrived a little early to find Yussef blasting targets with the basic buster spell... and demonstrating the sort of ragged over-powered lack of skill none of them had displayed in months. Explaining that without mentioning Zulfiqar had required some _very _fast talking.

The first scenario was a simple duel, pitting two pairs against each other, with the third pair providing referees, along with Yussef and Zafira. The second was more subtle, an attempt to find a specific item amidst the rubble, in a live-fire race with one of the other pairs. The third was a variation on 'King of the Hill', with one team starting in an established defensive position while the other attempted to force them out of it. They were all on their best behavior, using minimum-power spell for their attacks and max strength for their defenses, with some light armor provided by Zafira for additional protection. The primary duty of the referees, actually, was to make sure that any attack spells were _kept_ at minimum strength. Yussef was not so much interested in developing ways to get through shields here, as in teaching his fellows (and himself, he would admit only to the teachers) how to think and act under fire. Lotte-sensei's class was well able to take care of the technical side of things, in his opinion.

By the time the usual three hour session was over, he was once again feeling more than satisfied with their progress. While they began with a bit of initial silliness caused by over-excitement, his troops had settled down very quickly, and for the most part demonstrated the sort of focus and discipline he had been hoping for. There was some horsing around between scenarios, of course, but Yussef could hardly object to that when he was joining in. Even the critiques afterward were taken in stride, without the defensiveness that had characterized his first class.

Zafira pulled him aside as the others were shuffling out, but Yussef at first did not worry about that. His teacher had made a point of giving him his critique privately after each class, and that was what he expected. So it was with some shock that, once the door closed, he heard, "Show me Zulfiqar."

He actually stumbled a step, and for a moment could only look at Zafira in shock. The steady look he got in reply, no different from Zafira's normal walking-around look, set one thought looping through his mind. _No! Dammit, no! I just finished it, and they're already taking it away? _ Much as he did not want to admit it, however, he knew trying to hide his device would only make the situation worse. _Zafira's centuries old,_ he reminded himself. _He could probably take Zulfiqar away from me without even breaking a sweat._ "I'd hoped to hold onto it a little longer," he admitted with a sigh, as he pushed up his right sleeve and removed the leather band, "but here."

He held out the device, but Zafira only continued to look at him. "I said, _show me _Zulfiqar, not hand it over. Really, Yussef, I thought you knew how to follow orders?"

_I'm getting really tired of showing the world a face this stupid,_ Yussef thought, mostly because his mind was having too much trouble processing what Zafira had just said to actually think about anything serious. Finally, he managed to cough out, "You want me to... activate the device?"

"It has a name, boy," Zafira rumbled, "it's not 'the device'. Always respect your weapon, especially when it is as powerful and intelligent as a device. And yes, I want you to activate it. I wish to see if it was properly constructed, and properly bonded. Now, _show me Zulfiqar_."

That tone was impossible to disobey, and finally broke Yussef out of his mental idling. He strapped the dormant device on again by reflex, but was actually smiling again when he ordered, "Zulfiqar, set up!"

------------------------------

Yussef was the first of the three to drag himself back to the dorm building for dinner, and he was somewhat surprised to have managed that. Zafira had held him back for 'only' half an hour, but in that time, had tested him on every spell he knew, and a couple he had not realized he knew. It had been more than a little thrilling, realizing just how much easier a device made everything, but mostly it had been exhausting. Zafira's commands had come with whip-crack speed and authority, leaving Yussef no time to catch his breath or evaluate what he had done or what he was doing. The whole experience left him feeling like a wrung out dish-towel.

So he settled into a chair in the cafeteria, absently adjusted Zulfiqar on his wrist to sit more comfortably, and dug in. Noriko arrived a few moments after he had, and sat down next to him. Glancing at the device now openly displayed, she asked, "Who talked to you?"

"Zafira-sensei, who else?"

"Good, bad, terrifying?"

Yussef glanced at her, noted the slight smile, and replied, "All three?"

A thud across the table cut off further comment, and he looked over in time to watch Laura's head hit the table face first. She sat there for a moment, utterly limp, then groaned, "That woman's a sadist. I'd complain of child abuse to someone, but she's the local law."

"What did Signum do to you today?"

Without lifting her head, Laura explained, "You know the sparring ring? There's a new obstacle course through the woods behind it. She dragged me out of bed at five this morning to 'verify the new course was a challenge without being insurmountable,' or some such. Five! A! M!" Each part of the time was accompanied by another light thud as her forehead hit the tabletop again. "Came back for breakfast after the rest of you'd left, then _back _out to go sparring as usual, back for lunch, again after the rest of you'd finished, then she dragged me down to the workroom to go over my device." One arm flopped up on the table, landing with an odd 'tink', and when Laura's hand slid dramatically off the surface, there was a small silver cylinder sitting on the table. "Then she gave me that. I've spent a bloody great amount of time, as Megan puts it, charging and releasing that one stupid cartridge. Someone wake me up next week. I might be mobile by then."

The entire spiel was delivered in such a exhausted tone that, for once, Yussef actually believed her. "Get something to eat," he told her, "the power of our spells may come from our linker core, but the energy to control it still comes from us. You need to replace that."

"Maybe later," Laura mumbled, "table's nice and cool, almost comfy."

"Now, Laura," Noriko ordered, "before you forget and fall asleep. You'll regret it in the morning, just like you have every other time you skipped dinner."

Laura sighed heavily, then laboriously hefted herself out of her chair. "Hai, hai," she muttered, swiping the cartridge off the table before shuffling off, "food first, bed later."

"Bathe in between, please," Noriko added. Laura's only answer was a finger waved over her shoulder.

"She actually looked as tired as she claimed." Yussef thought about that for a minute, "Maybe we should ask Signum to do this daily. It might stop her from getting into so much trouble."

"Or it might just toughen her up and give her even more energy," Noriko countered. "I'm worried about that cartridge, though. Those things are dangerous."

"They're sort of like batteries, right?"

Noriko shook her head, "not like we're used to. More like the high-capacity ones used in cars and satellites. Very compact, very efficient, containing large amounts of energy in a very volatile state. Those cartridges are designed to... sort of _compress _the magic they store. Without a device, we can't control the release of that much power all at once."

"Signum gave it to Laura for training," Yussef reminded her, "I would be willing to bet that either it's not a true cartridge, or without a device we can't create the sort of pressures it was designed to hold."

Noriko nodded, but still looked worried, "that would be logical, but..." she shrugged, and turned back to her own dinner, "... I guess now that our sensei have taken us in hand, I've got to find something else to worry about."

"Worry about your device," Yussef suggested, "you're more likely to be able to affect that, than to keep the ditz from doing something dangerous."

"I worry about all my friends," Noriko told him, a strangely personal tone to her voice, "I do not have so many that I can afford to be cavalier with them." Yussef almost asked what she meant, but before he could, she smiled, and continued, "but about my device. I'm a lot closer myself, now. Hayate-sensei gave me a hand this morning, and I spent the rest of the day working on it. Next week, at the latest."

"You think Laura's will be done that soon as well?"

"Tche, my device'll be done by Friday," Laura boasted, collapsing back into the seat across the table. "And speaking of devices," she leaned across the table, holding out one hand palm up to Noriko, "the bet, remember?"

Noriko nodded, laughing slightly at Laura's incorrigible attitude, "I've still got it, up in my room. I'll bring it by your room tonight."

"Good enough," Laura agreed, then slumped a little further, "just don't wake me up. God that woman's a sadist."

------------------------------

The object was not as terrifyingly impressive as he had expected. There were no ranks of sinister lights, no strange jumbles of snaking wires and hoses, no ominous energies. It was just a machine, the size of a farm tractor and looking almost as ubiquitous. A plain steel housing painted dark green, a few grills for cooling and exhaust systems, a set of indicator dials, a stack of USB ports, and a heavy socket for a power line.

"Hard to believe this thing can tear the fabric of reality," he murmured, running a hand over the top curve of the housing.

"It can't, Master-Adept," the Doctor replied, "not alone, at least. We'll need twelve more, I'm afraid, but four are already in process, and they should come together much more quickly, now that we have experience with this one."

The Master-Adept nodded his understanding, then asked, "This unit is fully functional?"

"The programming is still in flux," the Doctor admitted a little reluctantly. "We won't be able to finalize that until the second wave of units is finished, and we can verify their interaction protocols. But yes, it is fundamentally functional. I hope you are not planning any tests, however. Once the engines trigger, we won't be able to stop them. They will run through their programmed course, generate the anomaly, and be destroyed in the process. If that happens early, however..."

"... The Yagami woman will notice, and be warned of our plans," the Master-Adept interrupted. "Do not worry on that score, Doctor. Our plan is in place and on schedule. We even have the event locale determined. Minimal risk to the planet, and no danger at all to any civilized nations. I was merely... curious. This approach is the most likely to achieve our ends, but we come perilously close here to the error our ancestors made, the error we seek to save those children from."

The Doctor put a hand on his shoulder, obviously trying to be comforting, but only managing comical. He was too much smaller than the Master-Adept, and lacked the force of personality to overcome that. His explanation made sense, however, "we are not that foolish, Master-Adept. That is why this engine is complicated, has so many pieces. I could, quite frankly, build it in a single unit with half the total mass, using a fraction of the power, but that device would truly be a horror. These components, they are easily separated from each other, and each part has only a single function, a single purpose. Our ancestors attempted to create life out of the un-living. We are close to that line, yes, but trust me, we have not crossed it. I take my oath to the Circles just as seriously as you do."

The Master-Adept nodded again, more slowly, but continued, "I understand the logic, Doctor. It's the logic I used to convince the Grand Circle to support this operation. But there is a world of difference between what the mind knows, and the heart believes. I have spent my life fighting to prevent another Fall, and this feels like a step backwards."

"Needs must, when the Devil drives," the Doctor quoted, "and this Yagami woman is certainly _a_ devil, if not quite _the_ Devil. Had she been more cautious after her return, more circumspect in her actions, we could have dealt with her in a more traditional manner, but she moves too quickly. I am not entirely comfortable with this myself, but better this than the alternative. Worst comes, we and our work can be cleansed by the Grand Circle, a possibility they have no doubt prepared for. We have as many safeguards as possible, and..."

"Please stop trying to improve my mood, Doctor, you aren't very good at." The Master-Adept gave him a lopsided smile to take the sting out of those words, then continued, "I have no intention of turning from this course. You are correct, it must be done and dangerous as it is, it remains the most likely course to succeed. But resolve is not always comfortable." He straightened, shrugging his shoulders to settle his cloak again, and his tone changed, "Good work, Doctor. Let me know when the next four components are complete, I wish to be present for the networking tests. Until then, good day."

The Doctor watched him go, up a flight of stairs and out the door to ground level, then turned and crooked a finger at one of the jump-suited figures. The younger man trotted over immediately, and the Doctor leaned in close to whisper, "double-check the fail-safes. Make sure they aren't _too _safe. I'd rather have them blow up accidentally, than not blow up when we want them to."

-----------------------------

AceStarleaf: I'm glad you're enjoying this, I'll try to keep it going. Also, apologies for the late review, I haven't been receiving alerts since before I posted the last chapter, and didn't notice my review count had gone up.

Kell Shock: The South Africa incident was simply the most public. It's a little hard to hide a six-foot plus woman who's flying without visible means and throwing chunks of building about with a wave of her hand:). Trust me, any government or organization in the world that believes in magic knows Hayate's in Japan (remember the Shaman's comment?). South Africa has given Hayate a bit of a flamboyant reputation, though. Deva magic's weakness from the devices is actually rather complicated to exploit (given that it's just about the closest bond a mage has). The concurrence of methods between Yussef's crew and the Circles is deliberate, but Yussef's idea is more a reflection of his character. He's not the type of person to sit around and wait for someone else to protect him, and neither are the other students. How effective they'll be against people who have trained for decades to work in groups… well, that'll be revealed in due course, won't it?

TheWhiteMonk: Sorry this felt like filler, I promise it wasn't (entirely). Akira's appearance (and Takashi's departure) appealed to my twisted sense of humor – neither of them really has any place near kids, even precocious kids. I hope the above revelation that the trio wasn't keeping as many secrets as they thought works, though the embarrassment isn't over yet, on that score. And remember, Laura's been convinced since before Kyoto that the teachers already knew.

Lingo: Glad you're enjoying this, and liked PoV. As for the students other than the trio & Cidela, I was originally trying to work in one a chapter for variety, as originally planned, but there's too much going on now. So instead, see "author's note the second" above.

Eni Li'Nave: Yeah, as mentioned to AceStarleaf above, I haven't gotten an alert on stories, reviews, or even my own chapters from about 04/15 to today (04/27). Kinda annoying, but it seems to happen every three or four months. The AF base was something of a compromise. Originally, it was going to be the Circle's trap to remove Hayate, but I come up with a more plausible arrangement for that. I still liked the idea of Hayate on a US military base, including the Colonel's mis-identification, so that was the result. It gave me a chance to put several points in one place, one being that the Circles are _not_ all-pervasive, the other being… completely missed by every reviewer so far – I think I was too subtle. You'll note, however, that there's no indication of _how_ that dislocation occurred, so it's entirely possible that it could be recreated. Cidela was included in the exercise because I established a while ago that she has a powerful healing gift, and her senses are tied to and amplified by that. She and Laura are the only students with special abilities in that area, so putting the two together was just a simplicity thing. As for how skilled Signum is, Laura was right at her (current) limit, and barely managed to give Signum a workout, so… the little one's still got a lot to learn. I almost wrote the scene where Akira showed up from his perspective, but I'm actually a little afraid to try that. He's too _absolute_ about a lot of things, and he as not happy to be put in that situation – he's a hunter and a killer, not a teacher. The device issue was only one of two Deva weaknesses discussed in that chapter, and the harder of the two to exploit. As for Noriko's hair (and that's the third reference you've made that I've had to hit Wikipedia for!), I'm still not sure how long it'll stay green:). Laura's keeping her red for a while, but Noriko was proud of her hair before. I'm not getting into gender politics (don't want to get banned for ranting), but Yussef has good reason for his views – he's a rather liberal example of his culture. No offense meant to that culture, but I spent a year and a half in the Middle East, on the Gulf, and Yussef's outlook really is liberal for the region. Also, would you trust _Laura_ at your back in a combat class? Especially if you had Yussef's relationship with her? The boys mostly followed along because A) he's the most natural leader in the entire class, including Noriko (she can do it, she's just better at leading-by-example than leading-by-command), and B) it'll allow them to do something for themselves when trouble comes, rather than waiting around to be rescued. Anyhow, more of the Circle's activities above, as well as finally kinda-sorta giving in to one of your requests, and showing one of the kids' devices.

Baughn: Glad you're still reading, thanks. The Colonel didn't resist more for one real-world reason and one in-story reason. RW – no military officer of any significant rank wants anything as dangerous as a dimensional dislocation in their command area, even if it's only 'potentially dangerous'. More than us civilians, they understand what 'collateral damage' means, and the idea of having only limited control over something with capacity for nuclear-level devastation was a bit much. In-story, the Colonel and his people had spent about a decade studying it, and had a fair idea of just what level of energies were involved, and what happened with the dislocation made physical contact with things (scientists can't resist probing things, after all). Finally, he may very well be able to recreate it, I haven't decided yet:). As far as Yussef, I'll reiterate what I told Eni Li'Nave – he's being rather liberal for the culture he was raised in (also remember he was in an all-boys school before). You're right about there being no advantage in magic to either gender (though there is a definite feminist tilt in the Nanoha universe). The girls' reactions will vary, though that's more likely to show up in Side Stories than here. As for how organized this is… you're making me feel guilty. I know where this is going, even had it thoroughly outlined on paper, and managed to follow that outline for about two chapters (counting the prologue!) before things ballooned on me. Should probably go back and update that, actually…


	17. 17 Senbonzakura

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 17 – Senbonzakura -

Noriko very quickly realized that, for all their rush to finish their devices, all the attention they had given to making sure their designs would work, and all the effort they put into hiding their efforts, she, Laura and Yussef had not actually thought much beyond that. They had not considered what a difference the devices would make in their magic, beyond Laura's rather general planning of new spells. They had not considered how the devices would affect their classes, or their classmates, nor how their teachers would react, beyond expecting the worst. The Monday after Yussef's device was completed forced her to think that through, especially since each of their trio received such a different response from their personal teacher.

The worst reaction, at least from Noriko's perspective, was Signum's, though it involved less yelling than some of her classmates' reactions. While their morning classes proceeded without note, and their classmates appeared unaware of the momentous change that had occurred that weekend, Laura was less than pleased when lunch rolled around. Noriko had just sat down with Niranjana and Megan, practicing the French lesson Aria had given them that morning, when she saw Laura storm in late. It was blindingly obvious that she was angry about something – her eyes were narrowed into an unfocused glare, she was stomping rather than walking, and, most tellingly, her red hair was _floating_ about her head, lifted by the barely contained energy she was radiating.

Noriko excused herself from the other two, and intercepted Laura before she could reach the buffet table. Touching her elbow to get her attention, Noriko asked, "Laura-chan? What's wrong?"

Laura stopped, focusing a surprisingly effective glare on her, and opened her mouth to say something. Then she froze, snapped her mouth shut, and growled, "Not here."

"My room?" It was closer than Laura's.

Laura nodded sharply, then barreled out of the cafeteria and into the girls' wing. She at least waited for Noriko to open her door, and waited until it was closed to say anything out loud, muttering to herself instead as she paced the length of the room. Noriko took a seat, and asked again, "what happened?"

What followed was best described as an explosion. "_She took it away!_ Signum..." Laura growled out the name with a sort of anger Noriko had never expected to hear from her, "... _Signum_ took my device away! Last night when I came back for dinner! She locked it up in the basement of their house up on the hill!"

For a moment, Noriko felt a flash of concern for her own device, but remembered that she now had a schedule to meet with Hayate-sensei to work on it every afternoon, so she doubted it had been locked up. "Did she tell you why?"

"Control! She says I don't have enough _control_! Me! You're better than me, Cid-chan's better than me! Yussef and 'Jana can match me! No one else even comes close! But I don't have enough _control _for _her _apparently!"

Looking at her, watching not just her pacing, but the flaring energies now surrounding her, Noriko very privately agreed with Signum. Laura was currently lacking in control, despite the fact that she normally did have the third or fourth best in class. "Did she tell you when she'll give it back? She must have said something about that."

A metal '_ting!_' answered her, and she tracked the sound to her wall in time to watch the silver cartridge Laura had shown them the night before bounce off the wall and fall to the floor. "When I can charge that thing enough for Levantine to use it. _Minimum calibration pressure_," Laura snarled the last phrase.

_The Velka system,_ Noriko realized, leaning out of her chair to pick up the cartridge, while Laura continued to pace. _Signum wants to be sure she can handle it, before it activates._ "Laura, she is just protecting you. If you attempt to use the Velka system..."

Laura cut her off, "I could still work on the damn thing! If she just told me not to use the system, fine! I wouldn't! But no, she _stole __my _device, and won't even let me finish it! This is going to drive me nuts!"

"Laura," Noriko snapped, more than a little insulted. She did not care to be interrupted, or yelled at for someone else's actions. "You claim to have such wonderful control, but look at yourself! Your temper is out of control, and your magic is following it! Calm down! Now! This is precisely the reason Signum took your device away, and you are not going to get it back like this!"

Truth be told, she was more than a little concerned herself. Laura had never been this angry around her, even after the trick at the Kiyomizu-dera was made worse by Yussef's intervention. Even as frustrated as she had become after that, trying to get payback, Laura had never been this angry or this out of control. The spell she had used to finally get Noriko, changing her hair color, had been a very precisely created trap, targeted personally on her. _There's no way she went from that level of control to this in a couple weeks,_ Noriko thought, _and her temper's never been this bad._

"Calm down?!" Laura's voice was practically a shriek, but at least it was choked enough not to carry, "How can I calm down when she's _stolen _my device? Why didn't she just rip out my heart while she was at it? After all, I haven't learned how to control my heartbeat yet! At least that wouldn't hurt this much!"

_Rip out her...? Oh, Kami-sama, she was already bonding to the device. No wonder her control is slipping._ Noriko thought rapidly, trying to figure out how to calm Laura. She was used to restraining the other girl's enthusiasm, certainly, but calming her temper? Laura had never really lost it, not like this. While the ranting continued, Noriko decided to take an escape route, shaping the communications spell silently in her mind, before whispering, "Hayate-sensei? One of those situations has come up that I don't know how to deal with."

The reply was immediate, but silent. _What's wrong, Noriko-chan?_

"You know Signum took Laura's device?"

_Yes. The Velka system requires a certain level of control, even when the cartridge boost is not employed, so Signum and I thought it best she not finish the device until we had verified she had that level of control. It should not take long, a week or two, then she can resume work on the device._ From her sensei's tone, it almost sounded like Hayate had been expecting her contact.

"You put it under heavy shields, correct? That may have been a mistake, sensei. Laura is already bonding with the device, like Yussef did. She's going crazy out here, her control is getting worse with her temper. If she gets much worse, she'll set off the dorm's wards."

There was a moment of stunned silence, then, _that's impossible! Her device isn't even active yet!_

"Yussef did the same, sensei," Noriko was nervous, now. The idea that Hayate might not have known had not occurred to her, and surprising her teacher was the last thing she wanted to do. "He was having trouble with his magic and other things for a week or so before he finished Zulfiqar. Laura was about as far along with her device as he was when his troubles began, about as far along as I am."

_Keep an eye on her,_ Hayate ordered a moment later, _I'm going to bring down some of the shields, let me know as soon as she notices._

"Yes, sensei."

She turned her attention outwards again, and thankfully realized that Laura had not noticed her distraction or her whispering. The other girl was still pacing the length of the room rapidly, gesticulating wildly as she raged on about Signum's 'theft'. The energy floating off her was now visible, little streamers of white lifting away and curling into nothing. Noriko was frankly surprised the dorm's safety wards had not already tripped. Then Laura froze in mid rant, her arms dropped to her side, and she slowly turned to look off towards Hayate's house.

"She's sensed it," Noriko reported, "she's staring through my wall at your house."

_Kami-sama, that was far too quick,_ Hayate replied. _She's definitely got part of a bond already. I'll bring down a couple more shields, down to the levels the workrooms maintain, and warn Signum. See if you can get Laura calmed down?_

"She's already calming down, sensei. I'll make sure, then get her to class. Thank you, I was getting very worried about her."

_You did fine, Noriko-chan,_ Hayate replied, _very well indeed. Don't worry if you're both a little late to class, make sure she has her control back before you go anywhere. We'll talk this over tonight._

Calming Laura down proved to be a drawn out process, and she was not really back in control until about halfway through Hayate-sensei's class. Which was, in fact, how Noriko finally got rid of her friend's anger – by replacing it with guilt. Everyone on campus, right down to the dorm's housekeepers, knew how Noriko felt about missing any class, let alone the two magic courses, and an off-hand comment about missing the start of Hayate-sensei's lecture cooled Laura's temper immediately. After which came a long half hour of getting Laura's magic mostly back under wraps.

The 'mostly' came from the fact that, once she had calmed down, Laura figured out how to get that 'glowing tendrils of evaporation' effect her temper had caused, without the temper or loss of control, and decided she liked it. "It makes me look all powered-up and dangerous, like the Evil Sorceress from an old eighties anime," she declared, watching the wisps curl off one arm as they were walking to Lotte-sensei's class. "Plus, it'll drive Yu-chan up the wall."

They arrived at Lotte's class early enough to have the workroom to themselves for a little while, and while the extra shields did dampen Laura's ability to sense her incomplete device, it was not enough to affect her control again. The two girls continued to work on that control, Laura demonstrating the exercises Signum had given her to do, until Lotte arrived just ahead of the others. There was some attempt to find out why the two of them had missed class, but that was cut off by Lotte rather quickly.

"Yussef, Noriko, Laura! Front and center!" Lotte-sensei was standing ahead of the class, pointing at the floor next to her. Sharing a concerned look, the three of them did as they were ordered, lining up facing their sensei. Noriko was uncertain what to expect from Lotte – she might be angry at their presumption, or she might be holding them up as an example, it was simply impossible to predict her. Pacing up and down their line, Lotte-sensei addressed the rest of the class, "These three have a little secret. A project they have been working on for months now, that some of you were aware of, though I believe only one of you knew what it was about. Allina! What were these three working on?"

Noriko saw Allina twitch, watched her eyes go wide, and tried to express her support and apology silently. She seriously doubted Allina would believe that none of the trio turned her in, but... "Ah, they were working on building devices, sensei," Allina replied, "out of components I supplied them at your direction."

"What?! At their dir..."

"Urusai, Laura-chan," Lotte-sensei snapped. Then she stopped in front of the three of them, glaring, hands on her hips, tail lashing wildly. "I am extremely disappointed in the three of you. You know how dangerous devices are, how dangerous it is for any of you to be attempting new magic without supervision. You knew when you started this little side project! You also knew that Hayate-sama would have objected, yet you proceeded anyhow. I am sorely disappointed! I would have had much more fun if you had thought to ask me about it beforehand, and all three of you would now have completed devices, instead of just Yussef."

Busy steeling herself for the dressing down, Noriko almost missed the shift in tone, but she was used to Lotte-sensei enough, by now, to expect the manic shifts of subject and attitude. Still, that was an abrupt change, even for her, and as the rest of the class, including Laura, laughed, Noriko just took a deep breath and released most of her tension.

"Still, you kids did technically break the rules, accessing information and materials you were not supposed to, so you now get to be guinea pigs for the rest of the class." Lotte-sensei snapped up one hand, a single finger extended to stop just shy of Yussef's nose. "You, Yu-chan, are going to have to put up with that nickname until further notice. Also, you're now going to demonstrate for your classmates just how much of a difference a device makes." The finger shifted, coming to rest on Noriko's nose, while Lotte's other hand came up to do the same to Laura, "you two, are going to activate your devices in class, once they are complete, and also demonstrate their capabilities. This is non-negotiable. If either of you activates your device outside of class, I'll arrange something suitably chastising with Hayate-sama and Signum-san. Clear?"

"Hai, sensei," Noriko managed, just barely not smiling. This was technically a reprimand, after all, and laughing at it would not have been good.

Predictably, Laura just laughed, "Sure, Lotte-sensei, I'll show off for the class."

Lotte-sensei sniffed, then turned to the rest of the class. "Pay attention, kids. Yussef's design is a basic intelligent device, the simplest type of device in common use. It has only standard components, standard programming, and a bare-bones structure. Which means it is fiendishly complicated and massively amplifies both his raw power, and his control issues. Yussef, activate your device but do _not _summon your armor. We'll show them this one step at a time."

"Yes, sensei."

------------------------------

"Ah, Mister Lorenzi, welcome back to Cairo," Adib Al Musab actually stood this time, moving around his desk to shake hands. A moment later, he waved at the chairs arranged around a side table, a tray of drinks already arranged. "Please, sit, common Ceylon Tea, I'm afraid, but still quite good. Your associate will not be joining us?"

"Thank you, Mister Al Musab," the man known here as Thomas Lorenzi returned the greetings, and allowed his host to pour both of them tea. "I'm afraid my stop here is in the nature of a flying visit, on my way from Europe to China in furtherance of our mutual goal. Mister Rossetti remains in Europe working on elements of the plan from that end."

Small talk ensued for a brief period, the exchange of pleasantries whereby they proved to one another that, yes, they were indeed civilized men. It was, on one level, a bothersome ritual. Mostly, for both of them, it was a comfortable reminder of the traditions both served, and a powerful reminder of their peoples' long histories of successful dominance. Each was quite confident that the other was nothing more than a tool to their ends, a fact the ritualistic exchange reminded them both of.

Finally, civilities covered, Adib turned to business. "What can I do for you today, Mister Lorenzi?"

"You recall the matter we discussed on my last visit, I presume. The geological studies? My people are ready to begin their preliminary surveys, and we need to start bringing in some of our experts and equipment. I was wondering if we might begin making the arrangements?"

Adib was silent for a moment, then smiled widely and nodded, "Certainly, Mister Lorenzi, certainly. Do you have a write-up of your initial team and gear? I will need basic personnel jackets, and manifests for the equipment." He waved one hand quickly, "Oh, nothing confidential, no trade secrets, you understand, just identifying information for the applications and permits."

"I quite understand sir, and indeed," he lifted his briefcase from the floor, "have brought such information as I thought you would need." A pair of snaps, a moment of shuffling, and two thin manila folders were passed across the coffee table. "The first folder has the personnel list, only three men, we thought we would use local labor, while the second folder has the manifests and hazardous materials information for the equipment. There will be some hazardous chemicals, I'm afraid, but you know how modern machinery is."

"Yes," Adib allowed, most of his attention on the documents in his hands. They were basic, little more than a single form and photo for each person, the same for several heavy pieces of machinery. Even the terms on all the forms were consistent with the 'geological exploration' mission. "This should be enough," he admitted after his initial glance, "though it will take me a few days to arrange the papers."

Lorenzi nodded, settling back in his chair, "That is perfectly acceptable, Mister Al Musab. The crew is traveling with their equipment as a cost-saving measure." And to insure the security of that equipment, he added mentally. "They will not arrive for the better part of a week, in the port at Alexandria. The follow-on teams will be arriving in somewhat faster order, however, especially as more of the survey equipment is shipped."

"Well, so long as you can provide me this sort of information a day or so ahead of time, I should be able to arrange the proper paperwork. I don't see any problem with the personnel. The equipment might, depending on how much you are actually bringing in. Egypt has many sources of oil exploration equipment already within our borders, so..."

Lorenzi could only shrug slightly, "We are aware of the issue. To be honest, I do not know precisely how much more equipment we will be bringing. This shipment has five packages, the next should have four. After that," another shrug, "I cannot say. It has yet to be decided."

"Well, that should not be too difficult," Adib allowed, then smiled. "You of course, would want to use the most advanced equipment possible, so I should be able to deflect any questions about two or three more shipments, but after that..."

"We can make other arrangements," Loreniz allowed, "most probably acquire some local equipment. Contrary to what you might have been expecting, we _will _actually be surveying for oil and gas. Why waste the opportunity?"

Adib chuckled politely at that, "Why, indeed?

------------------------------

There was, predictably, some jealousy directed towards the three of them, though it manifested itself mostly as demands for information. Lotte-sensei ordered them, at the end of that class, to reveal nothing of how devices were made, nor to show off their incomplete devices, but that did little to stop everyone else from trying to pry the information out of them. Whether it was between classes, during meals, or after school, the three of them and Allina had an almost constant entourage of other students pestering them for details.

Most of that abated shortly after Yussef began seriously demonstrating his device. While he could, indeed, generate truly impressive magical effects, it was obvious that he was less efficient with them than he had been before. Even more humbling, Lotte-sensei was capable of mimicking most of what he demonstrated, right down to the power output, though she made it clear to them that, as a familiar, she had been created specifically to handle large amounts of power without a device, and also that, as a more experienced mage, she was simply more efficient. The fact that Yussef, despite his device, still could not out-pace their teacher, went a long way towards dampening the jealousy and the enthusiasm.

Yussef, for his part, seemed conflicted between being proud of his device and his new capabilities, and uncomfortable with having essentially to relearn the basics with an audience. His first attempt at the Takamichi exercise was an embarrassing failure, for example. While he could generate a striker, and hit the can quite easily, he had a very difficult time, even with Zulfiqar in storage-mode, not over-powering the striker. He left a large number of shredded cans when the striker either detonated, or blew straight through the target, instead of deflecting it.

The factor that finally eliminated the last hostile feelings was a combination of Yussef's description, in Hayate-sensei's class, of what the last week before Zulfiqar was completed had been like. Between his stories, and the example Laura provided of her suddenly unreliable temper and wildly variable control, their classmates were thoroughly discouraged from trying it anytime soon themselves. Cidela even commented that she was afraid to work on a device now, given how shaky her control of her healing gift was.

Noriko, to her own relief, seemed to be immune to the symptoms which had plagued Yussef and were making Laura even more of a trial. She never had any loss of control over her magic, never felt the odd sense of something not herself floating in the back of her mind. Which was not to say she did not have her own incidents, as her device neared completion. The day after Yussef demonstrated his device for the class, when Hayate-sensei locked the workroom the device was stored in, she suddenly burst into tears, for no explicable reason. She was not sad, more a little happy at how well the work was progressing, but not 'sobbing to the point of losing her breath' happy. It had taken ten minutes for her to stop, which had been embarrassing, even though Hayate-sensei's explanation that it was the abrupt block of her developing link to the device. The next day, walking back to the classrooms from lunch, she suddenly lost her balance for no reason, not badly enough to fall, but badly enough to require help reaching Shamal. Who found nothing at all wrong with her. By the time they reached the healer, her symptoms were completely gone.

All of which went right out of her head when she walked into Lotte-sensei's class that Friday, and found Hayate-sensei already here, with her device set on a support frame. There was not enough time to ask any questions, as her classmates were either already in the room, or right behind her. She had no choice but to keep going, so she did, as the others pulled to one side, walking over to stand next to her device, simultaneously trying to ignore the looks of her friends and also silently question Hayate-sensei.

She finally reached the device, and asked in a whisper, "today, Hayate-sensei?"

"Hai," Hayate replied with a smile, giving her a small hug, "don't worry, it will be fine."

"What about the final tests? We haven't..."

"I ran them this morning," Hayate admitted, pulling back to hold her at arms' length. "I'm sorry, Noriko-chan, really I am, but I was just too excited. Forgive me?"

Noriko smiled, "That's fine, sensei. Are you sure it's ready?"

"Yes, everything came back green while I was explaining what to expect in my final exam."

There was a brief explanation from Lotte-sensei, not that any of them needed it, then Hayate-sensei gestured her towards the device and stepped back, giving her a bit of solitude. She stepped up, and rested one hand on the small ruby resting in the center of the mass, scanning it quickly with her eyes, then turned her attention inwards.

Part of her wanted to shriek and flail, like a rabid fan-girl in the presence of her idol. Another part wanted to run gibbering in terror, as a small child confronted with her worst nightmare. She was, in all honesty, more frightened, and more excited, in that moment, than she could ever remember being in her life, and for a moment despaired of being able to find the pass-phrase through her own turbulent mind.

But it was there, waiting quietly within her heart for her to speak it aloud and set her will to it. "Strength of my soul, child of my mind," Her voice, at least, was calmer than Yussef's had been, "companion and ally, guide my power to my will. Senbonzakura, set up!"

Yussef had described Zulfiqar's awakening in great detail, both privately to her and Laura, and in class. He had described it as something intruding on his mind then becoming part of it. He had described the terrible flow of power, the wild almost uncontrollable rush that had to be harnessed.

This was nothing like that. She felt a presence, yes, but it was comforting, a warmth that enveloped her mind and heart in comforting protection, gently reaching within her for the power to fulfill itself, being absorbed by her yet taking its identity from her at the same time. There was no intrusion, merely presence; no rush, merely the gentle spread of energy; no fear, only a joyous awakening. The only thing she could compare it to was how her mother had once described the feeling when Noriko was born, like holding in her mind a newborn child.

A powerful, willful, intelligent child more eager to play than anything else. One that she had to take in hand immediately and calm with thought and feeling, more than word or deed.

When her vision cleared, and the heady sensation of gestalt faded, she looked down to see a pair of half-meter metal rectangles of polished steel, maybe four centimeters wide and half that deep, lined along their thin edges. Joining the two lengths of metal, depending from pins set through one end of each was a fine chain of steel maybe a meter long, with a four centimeter ruby set in a steel ring.

She was so focused on studying the minutiae of her device that, when someone scuffed a shoe, she was surprised, and spun about defensively, snapping the two lengths of metal open to into half-circle fans, the chain-pins forming their axles as the chain lengthened with her spreading hands. From the glint on the tip of each vane, they were razor sharp, but what held her attention most were two crests etched into the vanes. On one side of the left-hand fan was the Imperial Chrysanthemum, symbol of the Japanese Imperial Family for centuries. On the other was a more complicated symbol – a crossed sword and staff in front of a mailed fist, a dragon's head and neck in profile curled in a circle around them. A shift of her wrists showed her that each fan had both symbols, one on either side.

"It is beautiful, Noriko-chan," Hayate said, completing her approach, "though I am a little disappointed. I had hoped you would create a staff." She smiled slightly, "It is your sensei's favored style, after all."

"Gomen, sensei," she whispered, still only partially paying attention. She could feel her device now, not just the weight of it in her hands, but the _presence_ of it within herself, the connection to something beyond herself, yet nonetheless a part of her.

"I was joking, Noriko-chan," Hayate replied, then turned serious. "Are you ready to proceed?" Noriko nodded, so Hayate ordered, "Summon your armor, apprentice."

"Hai, sensei." For a moment, she focused on that inner presence, reaching for the knowledge it contained, then requested, "Senbonzakura, grant me my armor, please. Petals of Steel."

Senbonzakura's voice was gentle, sounding like an odd cross between her mother's and Hayate-sensei's. "Hai, Hime." The wash of power that accompanied that statement was more a gentle drift, running up her hands and arms from each fan. Noriko could feel it on her skin, like a river of flower petals, gentle enough to almost tickle. It spread up her arms, then over her shoulders and down her body, enveloping her in a glowing pink light, which abruptly shattered, scattering small pink discs into a cloud around her.

What was left in their wake was anything but soft. Wine red pants and shirt were covered by slightly lighter red armor, plates and caps on her knees and arms, lamellar strips over her torso and hips, light tabi on her feet, and gloves covering her hands – from toes to neck she was covered in samurai armor, the Imperial Chrysanthemum inscribed large enough to cover her chest, that other symbol at its center. Her long hair was now pulled back into a top-knot, the excess flowing down her back in a loose tail. The entire ensemble was heavy, she could feel the weight of it in her shoulders, but at the same time, as she moved to inspect her new armor, she could barely feel it encumbering her.

"Man, Riko-chan," Laura sang out, "that's so much _cooler _than Yu-chan's armor. He just looks like a bad statue, you look _sweet_!"

The reminder of Laura's presence brought Noriko's defensiveness back, but when she glared up at the girl, she was just standing there with the others, a big grin on her face, and no trace of any spells ready. "Thank you, Laura," Noriko said after a moment, "but Yussef's armor is much less likely to draw attention than mine."

"Tche, that pig-sticker of his'll do that well enough."

"Glass houses, ditz," Yussef shot back, "glass houses."

"Children," Lotte-sensei snapped, "don't make me tie you two together. You didn't like it last time, I doubt a second experience will be any better."

The two almost glared at her, shifting a little further apart, but fell silent, despite the quiet laughter that swept the room. Noriko managed not to join in, though it was a struggle.

Hayate-sensei interrupted her amusement, asking, "Are these part of the armor, Noriko?" Her gesture encompassed the small cloud of pink discs still floating loosely about Noriko, though she was careful not to touch one.

Noriko considered it for a moment, trying to sense the magic flowing through her into the armor, but after a moment, could only answer, "I'm afraid I can't tell, sensei. The power they are drawing is too slight for me to differentiate it from that going to my armor."

"Well, we'll probably have to experiment with your armor to determine that, then," Hayate allowed, "see if these come back every time, and if they remain as you cast other spells. For now, why don't we experiment more generally? Choose a spell, Noriko-chan, and let's see how it's changed."

"Hai, sensei," Noriko replied, then turned away, walking a few steps deeper into the room. She was unsure what Hayate expected of her, but she knew how she wanted to begin, with the first thing her magic had made that was unequivocally _hers_. Reaching within, she found the spell, and whispered, "Cascade of Spring's Glory."

"Hai, Hime," Senbonzakura replied, a quieter, happier tone than Zulfiqar had yet produced.

Noriko felt the pull of the energy that time, and focused not on putting out as much as possible, but on limiting it, keeping it within reasonable limits, trying to establish a minimal baseline, from which to extrapolate. She spun out the energies in all directions, and the floating pink petals left over from her armor began to whirl around her. They grew, then fragmented, even as more of them appeared, a boiling mass of small pink disks, each no further across than the last joint of her index finger, that grew and grew, swirling about her until all she could see was her self and her spell. The petals floated right up to her armor, never quite touching her, but close enough to pass even through the gap between her hand and Senbonzakura, held ready by her fingertips.

She laughed aloud as the spell completed, the cloud finished growing. The pure clean joy of it, the sense of lightness and control, was incredible. She could sense each individual petal, each little bit of energy, and they responded to her thoughts and will both individually and collectively, far more numerous, yet also more responsive, than she had ever managed before. A mental command sent them spinning out in all directions, a silent typhoon of energy that swirled out to engulf her classmates and fill the chamber, dispersing far enough that she could once again see her audience.

"It's beautiful," Ichigo commented, first to find his voice, and held out a hand to a passing petal.

Cidela, in a rare act of self-assertiveness, grabbed his wrist hard. "That will take your finger off, Ichigo-san," she warned. "Noriko's petals are pretty, but quite sharp."

Noriko smiled wider, wondering if Cidela even recognized the possible interpretations of that statement that were, even now, causing Laura to stifle giggles. None of them had ever liked to laugh at Cidela, especially when she was that serious, and especially not now. _Still, better to reassure everyone,_ Noriko thought, "the petals won't touch any of you. I won't let them. Though, there are quite a few more than I expected."

Using a trace of her own energies to capture a few petals and inspect them, Hayate-sensei asked, "What is this spells, Noriko? I recognize the basis, of course, but I'm curious to see if Senbonzakura has altered it at all."

"It is the same spell, sensei," Noriko answered, "merely amplified. I like the idea of having an offense and a defense in a single spell. The petals can present the side and act as a shield, or the edge and function as blades. There are a number of weaknesses, in either direction, but I can switch from defense to offense with a thought, instead of having to craft separate spells for each, possibly manage both at once."

"Let's see just how fast that is," Hayate-sensei answered, then did something she had never done before. "Sword of Light, please wake." The shining blade appeared in her hand, seeming to form itself from the ambient light in the chamber. A moment later, that light flowed up her arm, replacing her simple white dress with the armor she had worn throughout her years of Bureau service.

Even Noriko, who's personal control was even better than her magical control, could not stop her eyes from going wide, or the sucked-in breath that promptly froze in her throat. _The __Sword of Light__?! Kami-sama, she's __never __shown us what it can do! Why's she..._

_Relax, Noriko-chan,_ Hayate-sensei's voice said in her head. "I have better control of the spells when the Sword is in hand, and I want to see how your self-defense lessons have been progressing. Shall we continue?" A gesture with the sword, and one of the workroom's targets appeared further down the room. "There is my target, Noriko-chan. Defend it."

A moment's hesitation, and then the cloud of petals lunged, swirling into twin flows. The first, as Hayate intoned, "Solar Fury," swept up between the Deva mage and the target, swirling out into a rough disc as a bolt of pure white leapt from Hayate's sword. The second broke over Hayate in a wave from behind, swirling around for a moment before compressing tightly, leaving her head and sword clear. The blast of light burrowed into the shield, and Noriko could feel it burning away the petals it struck, even as they weakened it. None of them were very strong individually, but en masse they absorbed the strike, swirling to fill the space it emptied.

For a moment Hayate merely stood there, looking down at the confining mass, shifting to test how tightly she was bound. Then she glanced up and asked, "Why did you leave my head and device free, Noriko?"

"I'm not sure if this could smother you," Noriko admitted, "and I am also uncertain how the petals would react to your device. So, restrain the mage and you restrain their power. Were you other than my sensei, I would have done this, as well." A cluster of petals lifted from the pile enveloping Hayate, spiraling up to form a ring around her throat, rotating slowly, edges turned inwards. "I know I could manage a hundred revolutions a minute before Senbonzakura, now I am uncertain how fast I could spin them. Fast enough to cut through a mage's armor, I believe."

Hayate nodded along, "a valid approach. Offer your opponent a choice between surrender and severe injury. The attack is also subtle enough to be lost amidst the cloud. But, you should never leave a mage's device free. For instance, there is Uriel's Shield." Before she even finished speaking, a small kite shield, maybe ten centimeters across, appeared at the Sword's tip, then a flash of power spread in a plane from it, and Noriko's control over the petals around Hayate dissolved. They did not fade out, but dispersed, and she had to stretch suddenly to get control of them again. Hayate's shield dissolved the instant she was free, and she took to the air, lunging not for the target, but for Noriko, Sword out in a blatant attack.

Noriko jumped backwards from the attack, calling her petals to her almost instinctively. Those which had held her sensei swirled around between them to block the strike, while those which had guarded the target spun beneath Noriko and lifted her into the air. A moment later, she found the spell she was looking for, "Leaf on the Wind."

"Hai, Hime." The flow of energies this time was easier for her to track. There was less of it, but it was far more concentrated, and all of it remained in close proximity to her. Three wings of pink energy spread from her back, and she lifted clear of the cushion of petals to fly on her own, positioning herself between Hayate and the target, calling her petals together into a roiling cloud beneath her, fans positioned defensively close. Her flight was a little shaky, but she hardly felt any drain at all, from either spell.

"Very good, Noriko-chan," Hayate-sensei told her with a smile. "But let's see just how far you can push Senbonzakura, shall we?"

By the end of the class, Noriko had a very good idea of just how far she could push herself and her device. Hayate had never approached within arms reach, and never directed a ranged spell at her, only at the target. She also never quite moved too quickly, or struck too hard, for Noriko to block. The key part of that was 'quite', as Hayate-sensei pushed her to go faster, block harder and create device-versions of her spells on the move.

Making things even more complicated, Hayate-sensei and Lotte-sensei had both provided commentary on her spells and actions, while still testing her. Hayate had been focused on teaching _her_, while Lotte had used the opportunity to teach her classmates. Her classmates' comments had been less educational, but strangely more satisfying. She had never had opportunity to appreciate it before, but there was a marked difference between the approval of a teacher, and that of a peer.

Noriko's hour of effort did teach her a lot. For one thing, her control with the new device was better than Yussef's had been. Her control was not as good as it had been before Senbonzakura woke, but better than Yussef's had been after Zulfiqar woke. She learned that while she could manage pure energy bolts, she could more efficiently generate and direct her petals. They remained her most efficient defense and offense, though she thought she could eventually match Yussef's more traditional spells.

So by the time she was permitted to dismiss her armor and shut down Senbonzakura, while she was sweating and exhausted, she was actually rather proud of herself, and delighted with her device. Senbonzakura glowed when she told it to shut down, but instead of radically altering in appearance, merely shrank. The fans became centimeter-long pins, the gem a one-centimeter oval, and the chain a longer length of fine links. There was no clasp, so she had to think for a moment before grinning, threading the chain through her long hair, and twisting the pins lightly together, leaving the gem resting in the center of her forehead.

------------------------------

Cidela knocked on the door tentatively, then opened it and leaned her head in. "Shamal-sensei? You wanted to see me?"

Shamal's office was the most oddly arranged Cidela had ever seen. There was no desk, no filing cabinets, just a couch, a couple chairs, a pair of low tables, bookshelves on one wall, and the wide window looking over the campus. Shamal herself was sitting on the couch, looking out the window at that moment while she ran her fingers over a long narrow box in her lap. She looked over and smiled gently, waving Cidela in. "Yes, Cidela-chan, I wanted to talk about your final project. Sit, please."

Cidela closed the door behind her, then walked over and settled on the couch. She was used to Shamal's gentle informality, and had spent many hours in this office working with her teacher, so she was comfortable enough, but she had thought her final project was finished, and that she would not know the results until after the formal final exams. "I thought I gave you the last report yesterday, sensei. Did I forget something?"

Shamal shook her head, "No, Cidela-chan, I wanted to talk to you about... expanding on it. Your plan is quite detailed and, while it is more cautious than I would have expected, that is a good thing, given how complicated and risky creating and supporting a familiar is. While I was reading your report, I had a thought, and wanted to discuss it with you."

Cidela was slightly confused by that, as she had thought her theoretical plan for the creation of a familiar was rather ambitious. Six months to create a living being was rather fast, by her standards. Still, if Shamal thought she was being cautious, she probably was. Wondering what she had missed that would make a faster creation possible, she asked, "what was it, sensei?"

"All of you are advancing faster than we had expected, which is a good thing, something to be proud of. I think you have advanced far enough, and understand the principles involved well enough, to support a familiar of your own. There are only two things preventing you from doing so at present. The most difficult is a matter of skill – as much as you have learned, you do not yet know enough to create a familiar. Support one, yes, create one, no. That can be remedied in time, or worked around at present. The second preventative is a matter of power. Without a device, it is almost impossible to support a familiar's energy requirements. That, also, can be worked around. What I was thinking is, would you be willing to try? Between us, you and I can create the familiar your report detailed, and I have a way around your lack of a device. But I do not want to push you into something, so... I am asking if you would be interested?"

_A familiar? Me?_ At first, the very idea was incomprehensible. She was far too young for such responsibility, far too inexperienced to manage it. But the more she thought about it, she realized that it was possible. While she lacked the ability with the more flamboyant spells of her classmates, her control was as good as any of theirs. If Yussef and Noriko could manage a device, there was no reason she could not manage a familiar. "I would be willing to try," she allowed slowly, "but I am unsure."

Shamal smiled, and caressed her hair lightly, "I would expect nothing else, Cidela-chan." Then she opened the box in her lap, and drew out a silver chain, a small green stone set in a pendant dangling from it. "This is how I thought to circumvent your lack of a device. It is a simple artifact, designed to assist students in learning to control the flows to a device. Noriko, Yussef and Laura bypassed this step, but we planned to issue them to the rest of you at the start of next year, while your own devices were under construction. It can only regulate a single power flow, and that not much greater than what you can manage now, but once you create it, the pendant should be able to maintain it with minimal input from you, just as a full device does. I'd like you to work with this one, practice with it.

"I can create the basic beginning of your familiar, while you do that. Once it is ready, I will help you complete it, through the device. At that point, it will be... young, unable to assume any but the most basic form, but that will be your test for next semester – to raise it, train it, and support it. It will be difficult. Familiars require a great deal of energy, especially in the first year while they are still growing. It will not be easy for you to manage both this and your regular lessons. You will not have very much time or energy for yourself."  
_That would not be such a bad thing,_ Cidela thought to herself. While she was unsurprised to have been disowned, had been sort of expecting it for years, she did miss her family, and had already learned that the less time she had to think on that, the easier it was. "I think I can handle it, sensei. Do you want me to help with the initial creation? I thought a familiar had to be entirely constructed by its master?"

Shamal shrugged, "generally, yes, and if we do this my way, your familiar will always look to me to some extent. But it will be your familiar, Cidela. I think you should help with the creation, though, and we'll have to plan that out. Here," she held out the two ends of the chain, one in each hand, "let me put this on and activate it."

Cidela leaned forward, and Shamal looped the chain around her neck, hooking the clasp closed. She felt... something, but it was too faint to describe.

Shamal continued, "It lacks the processing power of a true device, so it will take a few days to acclimate to your linker core. After that, I want you to work on channeling your spells through it, instead of directly, as practice. It should take me a week to establish the minimal structure for your familiar. After that, we can work on it as quickly as you like."

"Thank you, Shamal-sensei," Cidela replied, fingering the pendant as another thought occurred to her. "Um, I... I have a request? I'm not sure if it's right or not, but..."

Shamal's hand caressed her hair again, "What is it, Cidela-chan?"

She flushed slightly, this was somewhat embarrassing. It struck her as arrogant, but... "Everyone else has taken to calling me Cid-chan, like Laura. I... I think I prefer it, sensei. It helps remind me that I don't have to pretend, any more. Every time someone calls me 'Cidela', I keep remembering how I was supposed to act at ho... back in Egypt. The things I was not supposed to do."

Shamal was silent for a moment, then leaned forward and pulled her into a comforting embrace, "Oh, Cid-chan, that is perfectly fine. You have the right to be called however you wish. I'll make sure the rest of the teachers know."

------------------------------

CrimsonDX: and here's the second device, Noriko's. I've been planing this one almost since the start. As for Yussef's device, he hasn't really shown what he can do with it yet, and neither has Noriko. That'll happen in a few chapters:).

TheWhiteMonk: You're right about the refusal of the Circles to talk, but by their lights, there's nothing to talk about – she uses artificial means to enhance her magic, thus Hayate is an enemy to be eliminated, not bargained with. Yeah, I know, pig-headed, but that's a good description for most human errors. As for how much help the trio's devices will be, that remains to be seen.

Kell Shock: No comment on the timing/progression. Things progress as they progress, and if I say anything about the timing, I'll give away to much of the surprise. Yes, the Doctor is pushing the edges of what the Circles will allow, but give them credit for recognizing a desperately powerful threat and reacting in accordance with that. As for the 'fall', I'll just reference the result of Takashi's interrogation at the end of Chapter 13 – Atlantis is exactly what the Circles are afraid of.

AceStarLeaf: I'll watch StrikerS once I've finished Academy Blues, to prevent any continuity errors on my part (I'd include something from StrikerS if I watch it, I just know I would). The Circles actually come from several sources (like all my OCs, I'm afraid). At their most basic, they are something of a fusion of the mythological treatments of the Knights Templar and Freemasons (not the actual groups, but their popular mythological presentations), crossed with anime's semi-traditional belief in the Great Corporate/Government Conspiracy. The only real realistic part of them is their organizational structure, which is drawn straight from standard espionage and terrorist organizations (both of which they could qualify as).

Sheo Darren: The scenario in America was a fun one to write – how does a group of military scientists react to magic? As for Yussef's activation, I had to struggle to figure out what his pass-phrase was, and what form his device and armor would take, then had to do it all over again for Noriko. Was worth it, though. Laura's spells will be revealed in due course, but I've given hints as to their nature before. The cartridge Signum gave to Laura is a test cartridge, for her to train with. The Circle's trap will be sprung (and detailed) in due course – stop fishing for hints!:).

Liingo: Yussef's power level is lower than even what Nanoha could manage when she first went up against Fate. But compared to what he could manage before, he's now on such a vastly different level that it'll take him a while to sort out the differences. Keep in mind, none of the teachers have yet demonstrated more than their most basic attacks. I've read a little of the ranking system on Wikipedia, but I'm not using it here. The kids are too varied, the Wolkenritter no longer care, and Hayate has too much else on her mind. I wasn't aware of the canon explanation for flight abilities, I just figured it would be complicated. Again, I'm sticking with what was canon for Nanoha and Nanoha As, for continuity purposes. I'm still debating the Bureau's response to the Circles' plan, but there's a few chapters left before the Bureau's involved again, so I've got time in hand.


	18. 18 Paradox

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 18 – Paradox -

When Laura first decided to create her own device, and decided to build it along the Velka lines of Levantine and Graf Eisen, she had thought that she understood what that meant. The Velka system used cartridges of stored magical energy, releasing them at critical moments to vastly amplify the energy available to a mage, beyond what a device could safely draw from a linker core at speed. That was the explanation they had been given, that was what the basic records indicated, so she had forged ahead with her usual confidence that handling the Velka system would just be a matter of controlling that burst.

Hints in the Velka design notes had been her first warning. The system itself was relatively minor, a small assembly with surprisingly basic programming. It was the ancillary support equipment that had been a shock. The sheer amount of reinforcement to both the physical structure and core programming that was listed as 'minimal safe redundancy' was almost enough, in her opinion, to create a second device, and accounted for the vast majority of the extra components she had installed, compared to Yussef. Still, there were no clearly worded warnings, so she simply figured the burst of energy must be more intense than she originally thought, but still within the realm of practicality.

Then had come that amusingly anti-climactic Sunday when the teachers had revealed that they knew all about the device project. Signum's comments on Laura's device had been fine, just what she was looking for, in fact. But the cartridge had been a shock, and not only because Signum secured her device the very next day. Figuring out the trick to charging it was the first difficulty. All cartridges, according to Signum, incorporated a basic back-flow safety, to keep excess energies from leaking into and destabilizing a charged cartridge. In keeping with the KISS-principle, Signum's cartridge had only one way past that safety feature – exceeding its limit, which required a combination of control and brute force that was difficult to manage, at first.

Once the safety was by-passed, Laura found that she had to maintain that minimum level of applied power, or it would re-engage. Still, charging the cartridge was a simple, if lengthy, process, and she managed it precisely once that first session. After which, Signum took the cartridge, loaded it into Levantine, and triggered it. Staring at the device in anticipation, feeling a thrill of excitement at getting a front-row seat for this, Laura was still waiting for the big moment after the slide racked back into place.

Staring at the sword quizzically, while Signum watched her in turn, Laura asked, "Ano, Signum-sensei? It was a lot more impressive..."

Signum released the energy from the cartridge into the workroom's shields, then ejected the cartridge, catching the spinning metal with her free hand. "It is, normally. The charge you just placed in this cartridge was the bare minimum, Laura. Just enough to fill it. But the cartridges do not merely contain energy. They are compressed storage units, they hold the energy _under high pressure_." She held up the cartridge, thumb and forefinger at opposite ends, moving it slightly in emphasis as she explained, "In order to truly utilize the Velka systems, you need to be able to, without a device, generate a one hundred percent compression rate. About double what you just managed. A device-wielder can manage much greater concentrations, but to understand both how the cartridge is charged, and how that energy releases, to understand just what sort of difference it makes, you have to manage the minimum calibration pressure. Anything less, and the first time you trigger a cartridge in your new device, you will burn out the device, or yourself." She flipped the cartridge to Laura, "practice with that. When you can manage a one hundred percent increase in stored energy, we'll go the next step."

That had sounded fine, at first, but the very next day she had woken feeling strangely... incomplete... and things had deteriorated from there. When she went at lunch, as had become a habit, she went first to check on her incomplete device, Signum had intercepted her and told her it was secured until she could pass Signum's test. The sheer blinding rage that act had woken was... interesting, very much in the Chinese sense, though she had not been in any shape to realize it until later. She literally could barely remember the time from turning and walking away from Signum before she exploded, to the time she found herself in Noriko's room, staring through a wall to where she _knew_ her device was. It had taken her a few hours to realize what had happened, that being separated from her device had left her so enraged she had, for all intents and purposes, blacked out. Which was a frightening first, for her.

She had, as she figured it, two options at that point. She could either call it quits, get Signum to help her disassemble the device and remove whatever connection had formed, or she could buckle down and get the bloody cartridge charged. What it really boiled down to, in her mind, was how far ahead she was willing to let Yussef get. If she caved, she would loose what little authority she had to stand up to him. He would win by default, and she would forever after have to admit that he was better than she was. That was simply unacceptable.

Signum never directly told her how to achieve the MCP, as Laura referred to it. She would check the cartridge each time Laura thought she had it, and offer comments on how much more or less energy it contained than prior attempts, but she never explained it, almost as if she thought it was too obvious to _need_ mentioning. But Signum never did that, never left out something because it was 'obvious', so Laura knew her teacher was being subtle, forcing the student to find the answer in order to make it stick.

Laura tried everything she could think of, but none of it worked. Twisting the flow of energy, speeding it up, slowing it down, strengthening it to the point where she could feel herself right at the ragged edge of hurting herself, none of it worked. Which, for the better part of a week, meant she was snarling at everyone, especially herself, with little to no warning. Telling herself her short temper was a side effect of the incomplete device, hearing Noriko explaining that to her classmates, did not help in the slightest.

It was, in the end, Hayate who gave her the answer, and in a completely unexpected manner. A lecture on bindings, of all things, gave Laura the key to Signum's test.

"Bindings," Hayate explained at the start of class, "are both the last new topic of the semester, and one of the more difficult types of common spells. It is not that they are fundamentally complex, though they can be, but because simple power is not an answer. That is one of the major reasons why familiars normally specialize in bindings – that way they can remain useful to their master without the raw power of a device. Bindings are intended to restrain and contain, to capture rather than kill, and usually without harm. Think on it a moment... a buster spell is designed to break through defenses, to harm an attacker. For those purposes, the more power poured into the spell, the better. But a binding must leave its target alive and unharmed, at least relatively.

"The key to a successful binding, however complicated, is steadiness of power. The energy flow from you to and through the binding must be steady, constant. Bindings are things of stability, and any instability at all, even at such a basic level, will weaken and distort the binding." Hayate had continued on, but in one of those intuitive leaps of logic that drove Yussef so insane, Laura's mind instantly clicked – _a binding requires a steady flow of power regardless of amount, and what is a cartridge, but a physical binding on magical energy?_ She very nearly bolted out of class to go try it, and could feel herself quivering with the need to _try it_, long before Hayate let them go.

Lotte had been rather unforgiving about giving them time to do anything even remotely related to making or showing off their devices outside her strict guidance, so she only managed to work with the cartridge for a few minutes, but that was enough to calm her down and give that little seed of hope some new life. As soon as Lotte dismissed them, Laura recharged the cartridge, and went hunting for Signum. She found her sensei in the sparing circle, practicing sword-forms despite the snow on the ground, and wordlessly held out the cartridge.

Signum quirked an eyebrow, loaded the cartridge, and discharged it. Again, there was no rush or pulse, as when one of Levantine's normal cartridges discharged, but Signum nodded sharply, "Finally, you figured it out." Laura wanted to carol in joy, but Signum's next words dashed that, "now you just need to get the pressure up. Try again, now."

It took four more tries, and Laura was shivering with cold and drain by the time she was done, but she finally, _finally_ managed to reach minimum calibration pressure. The very next day, when lunch rolled around, she found her device exactly where it had been stolen from, sitting on a rack in the workroom, waiting for her. Just being able to touch it again gave her such a feeling of weak-kneeded relief she was surprised she did not fall down.

Signum arrived a few steps behind Laura, and gave her a few minutes to talk to the incomplete construct and re-familiarize herself with it before interrupting. "Not to put a damper on things," she said, "but that monstrosity needs some work before it's ready to be activated."

------------------------------

"Welcome to Egypt, Doctor Yue," Thomas Lorenzi bowed politely, then took the older man's elbow, guiding him out of the flow of passengers off the airliner.

"Thank you, ah... Thomas," a grin of amusement, as if the older man found the subterfuge's unnecessary but quaintly entertaining. "Good of you to meet me yourself, I know how busy you are."

Thomas shook his head, "never to busy for you, sir." A polite formality, but he actually meant it. He would have taken the time to come back to Cairo for the Doctor even if protocol had not required it. Rumor had it even the Grand Circle treated him more as a respected teacher than the subordinate he technically was. Not surprising, considering that, also according to rumor, half the members of the Grand Circle had served their apprenticeships under him. "I have a helicopter waiting at the far end of the terminal, we can fly directly to the site."

The flight was a long one, and unsurprisingly Doctor Yue slept through most of it. The big H-53 Super Stallion was far from quiet, not with three jet engines driving its massive rotor, but the Doctor had the ability shared by elderly and soldiers the world over, to sleep when they had to, regardless of the circumstances. Lorenzi let him sleep, out of respect and out of knowledge that the old man before him needed to be in top form for the next few days.

The Doctor's plane had landed in the early morning, and they reached the work site several hours later a little before noon. Lorenzi woke the Doctor for that, and at his direction had the pilot first circle, then hover over the site. Moving from window to window, muttering to himself, the Doctor was quite obviously comparing the completed work to the plans in his mind. Finally, he signaled for the helicopter to land, and they shifted off a kilometer or so to the north where a slab of bedrock had been cleared for the purpose.

A jeep was waiting, driver at the ready, and they were soon moving amongst the heavy engines the Doctor had designed months before. Six were already bolted down to cement foundations, and seven more foundations were in various stages of completion. Off in the other direction from the landing pad, a short way to the north, a mobile oil derrick was drilling slowly, a 'test well' and cover for their real purpose.

As the driver worked the jeep between the various work crews and piles of equipment, Lorenzi leaned forward to talk, "We've followed your schematics to the letter, Doctor, planed the bedrock level, using extra concrete to match altitudes precisely. The foundations will all be level with each other to within half a millimeter, and the engines are already calculated to be at the precise positions you required. But we have had one question come up, from some of my Ops boys. You were very precise about how much distance to leave between each engine, but we need to know if they have to be exposed to function."

The Doctor glanced around at him, then turned back to watching the work. "I'm not sure what you mean," he replied.

"For the main event, sir," Lorenzi explained, "the Yagami woman's arrival. We originally planned to simply bury the engines, level the area under a giant sand dune, but one of my apprentices pointed out that we don't know if that much mass between the engines will interfere with their functioning. I have them working on alternate plans, but there's only so much we can do until we know if our camouflage efforts will intefere with the engines."

The Doctor nodded along after the first sentence, "I understand, but unfortunately, I don't actually know, off-hand. I can perform some calculations, check with the original data the engines are based on. How soon do you need to know?"

"As soon as possible, sir. The last engine won't arrive for another week, but the sooner we can get started on our camouflage efforts, the more effective they will be. Also, the more time these things are exposed, the more likely it is that the Yagami woman will notice them."

"The last engine is behind schedule," the Doctor confessed, "some of the components failed final quality check. Failed catastrophically. That is partly why I am here, to see if we can proceed without it. We have some spare parts, and can fabricate the rest quickly enough and get them installed while the engine is at sea, but it will still be a month before it can arrive here."

"Damn," Lorenzi muttered, thinking that over. _A month,_ he thought, then corrected himself, _a month plus – we can't calibrate until they're all in place._

"Oh, it's not that bad, Adept," the Doctor said, trying to be comforting, but mostly coming across as admonishing. "There is no sign yet that the children are irredeemable, they have not been corrupted. We should have the time. I've seen enough here, the engines are all in their proper places." That was a surprise, the jeep was still moving, but Lorenzi did not question it. One did not question unqualified statements made by the Doctor, not if you were Lorenzi's rank. "Take me out to the bait, please. I need to see if that is properly placed and decide if it needs any enhancement."

The 'bait' was to the south, much closer than the helicopter pad had been. Smaller than any of the engines, it was also the only one to incorporate overtly magical trappings. The housing, a rectangle one meter tall and a third that on each side, was decorated with magical sigils on each visible face. In the center of each sigil was a small opening. Indicating one of them, the Doctor asked, "You have chosen who will trigger it?"

Lorenzi nodded, "yes, sir. Five apprentices on punishment detail."

That got a raised eyebrow. "Volunteers are more the norm, Adept."

Lorenzi shrugged, "they are volunteers, sir. I offered them the chance in place of their official punishment. One was facing execution for assaulting a Master, the others were almost as badly off. I felt, and the High Adept agreed, that triggering this was sufficiently dangerous to equate to their individual sentences. If they survive, their sentences will be complete and they will be permitted to move on with their lives. If not, they will have paid the price for their transgressions."

------------------------------

Unlike Yussef and Noriko, Laura knew before hand the day she would show her device to her classmates. Signum's penchant for surprising her apprentice was limited to private training, not public demonstrations, and she actually made Laura delay it for a few days after they finished assembling the components and running the tests. Noriko's device was impressive enough to distract everyone, and by the time Laura's was ready, it was Finals Week, and everyone was more interested in those, or the two week New Years holiday to follow, than in trying Laura's temper by asking about her device.

Finals were, predictably, rough. Three per day for four days covering the mundane subjects, then their two magical finals on the last Friday of the semester. Laura was torn between studying (which she did actually do, despite Yussef's oft-expressed doubts) and working on her device, but Signum's combination of orders and assurances kept her from completely ignoring the books. By the time Friday rolled around, she felt good about her usual 'easy' courses, better than usual about her 'bad' courses, and had to repeatedly remind herself _not _think about her device, sitting complete but inactive in its workroom.

Hayate's final was both easier and harder than the others. It was easier, since it was magic, which was just about all Laura had thought about for four months now. Some things, like her shields and expanded senses, were becoming second nature, so she was more than familiar enough with how it all worked. The hard part was, she was used to _doing_ magic, not _describing _it, which left her struggling to explain her answers on most of the questions. It was almost like trying to describe how to breathe – she rarely thought about on a conscious level, she just... _did it_. Still, by the time she walked out of the classroom Friday, she was confidant she had done well on that exam as well, and feeling no worries for the practical.

Lotte's practical course was being handled a little differently. Instead of sitting an exam as a group, they were each supposed to report to her individually for twenty minutes apiece, during which time she would put them through a series of exercises to make sure they had been paying attention over the last semester. Noriko and Yussef were excused, on the basis that completing and controlling their devices constituted sufficient demonstration of expertise, which meant that, unlike the others, Laura knew exactly what her exam was going to be. Which did not make going last any easier, since the very nature of her exam prevented her from doing anything with her device until Lotte called for her. It also meant that, unlike her classmates, she got to look forward to having an audience for her exam.

Instead of studying, after lunch, with Signum's specific permission, she slipped out to the sparring circle with her naginata in hand, and began working her way through the katas Signum had shown her. She was not so much interested in training, as in distraction, trying to restrain her usual exuberance and instead complete each kata as smoothly as possible. Signum came out sometime after she began, but contented herself with watching, standing just outside the ring of pillars. Eventually, however, she did interrupt. "Laura, Lotte is ready for you. Go put the naginata away, then meet us in the main workroom."

Laura slid out of form, bowing slightly, "'Kay, sensei. Five minutes?"

Signum nodded, then walked away to retrieve the incomplete device, and Laura ran to her room to hang the naginata on her wall once more. A quick stop in the bathroom to clean up a little, then she was jogging back across the campus, not really late but pushing it just a bit. When she got to the workroom, she found not just her classmates, but the entire teaching staff, already waiting for her, Lotte and Signum a little further out in the room, standing next to her device.

Laura actually hesitated in the doorway, overcome with sheer excitement, then, as Hayate started to reach towards her in reassurance, laughed aloud and charged across the room. She stopped just shy of leaping on Sigum, but managed to restrain herself, barely. "It's ready? Really? No more tricks, no more stealing it away from me?"

Signum gave her a repressive look, "I did not steal it, Laura. But no, no more delays. Your device is ready. The only question is, can you wake it?"

"Laura?" Lotte kept her from replying, "this is your final exam for my course. You know what to do, but, more than Noriko or Yussef, you have to be careful. I know you don't have any cartridges yet, but even without them Velka devices tend to be much more difficult to control. You understand?"

"Hai, Lotte-sensei," Laura answered, "I know what to expect."

"Then show us what you've built, Laura-chan, and try not to burn the building down."

The two teachers backed away. Lotte moved to stand with her sister next to Hayate, but Signum only retreated a couple meters. Laura spent a moment just looking at the device, enjoying the sense of excitement and wonder. She had wanted this since she first met Reinforce. She had worked, schemed, and driven herself to distraction getting this ungainly assembly of parts together, all to get to this one point. _No,_ she thought, _not this moment. The moment that comes next, when it wakes up._

She reached out, resting her hand on the milky white crystal at the device's center, and tried to reach with for the pass-phrase that would wake the device. She thought on herself, on her power, on what terms she knew described her, but all she heard in response was... silence. Not a hint of a phrase, no words, no sense of connection, _nothing_. It was very nearly enough to make her panic.

She had not come this far to fail, however, and she fell back on Signum's training, on the discipline she had learned over these last months. She stilled her mind, stopped _trying_ so hard, and waited, listening, patiently, mentally reciting one of the focusing mantras Signum had taught her.

"The way of the warrior, is the path of Shadow," a whisper, but it was there, "the gift of the warrior is to perceive, that which cannot be seen." She felt something, just a little quiver in her linker core. "The spirit of the warrior is to strike, in a single moment. The destiny of the warrior, is balance in all things." The quiver became a flicker, energy floating out from her linker core. "My balance, my strike, my perception, my shadow... Paradox, lock and load!"

That flicker expanded for a moment, a burst of energy that cut off almost instantly, and she felt a query, a mental sense of question. She answered it, with energy and wordless command, and felt the acknowledgment. A single flow of power spiraled off her linker core, and she could feel it under her hand coiling within the device. That energy grew, then she felt it flowing up her arm, swirling around her in a loose cloud that rapidly compressed around her. When it was over, looking down, she found her work-out clothes had been replaced by a black full-body skinsuit, complete with fingerless gloves and short heavy boots. Hard curved plates of gloss black protected her knees, hips, elbows and shoulders, with short guards on the back of her hands that extended as loose plates just past her wrists. Each armor plate had a small white gem set in its center, and an eleventh larger gem was nestled in the hollow of her throat.

Turning around to face Signum, she spread her arms wide and bowed, "Sensei, my Paradox."

There was a rustle of sound, but Signum merely nodded. "I am impressed, Laura, but also surprised. I had expected a spear."

Laura stood up again, grinning widely, "nah. If I need a weapon, I'll use Hicho. Paradox's my device, my defense."

"Is this your armor?"

Laura considered that for a moment, and again felt that internal questioning sensation. _That's Paradox,_ she realized, _damn, I didn't think I'd be able to recognize it as a separate internal touch._ A moment later, a deep soul-full bass of a voice, fit to turn Barry White green with envy, drawled, "No, Gunny."

Looking up, still slightly confused by a combination of vocal and mental answer, Laura said, "Um, he says not, but... it does offer some protection."

Signum's eye brow crawled a little higher, then ordered, "well then, how about you show us your armor? You're going to need it in a minute."

"Hai, sensei." This time, Laura reached right for that connection to Paradox, _I need my armor._

"Aye, Gunny," Paradox drawled, drawing the energy out of her and forming it about her, "Gaussian Field." It was fast, a rush of white energy that appeared around her in the blink of an eye. The reinforced plates on her shoulders and hips threw off flows of energy, forming angular plates on her chest, back, waist and thighs that were, instead of being attached to their originating points, attached directly to the fabric of her bodysuit. A moment later, blade-like vanes extruded from her shoulders, hips and back, accompanied by a brief rising whine of charging electrical elements.

Laura looked the armor over for a moment, thrilled by how sleek and light it was. Yussef's had seemed too restrictive, despite the loose pants and shirt under the leather, and Noriko's armor was impressive looking, but way too bulky for Laura's style. This, though... this high-tech cyber-punk look was perfect, and it still left her with her full range of motion for when things got up close and personal. "Cool," she chirped, turning her attention to Signum again. "Do I pass, sensei?"

Signum frowned slightly, then gestured sideways, summoning Levantine silently. "Stand still," Signum ordered, bringing the blade around to point at Laura, "and no shields." Laura barely had time to blink before Signum fired at her. The bolt reached arm's length, and abruptly whipped sideways, curving around Laura's position to fly off at a tangent and up into the room's containment shields.

"Interesting," Aria commented, "redirection instead of opposition or absorption. That effect is remarkably similar to starship shields."

"But those can be overpowered," Signum countered, and lunged.

Laura tried to stand still. She knew Signum would never actually hit her, that this was just another test of her armor, but... that was _Levantine_ coming at her, in the hands of _Signum_, and headed for her _face_... she flinched, in exactly the manner Signum had taught her. She dropped almost straight down, leaned to her left, spun in the same direction and, as Levantine went over her head, swept her right leg out in a trip attempt that... met nothing as Signum took to the air, rolling to hover a few meters away.

"You were supposed to stand still, Laura," Signum commented.

"Sorry, sensei."

"I will admit your form was good," Signum allowed, "and against a mundane opponent that would have been an excellent response. A word of advice, however... attempting to trip or throw someone who can fly at will is useless, unless you have something immediately at hand to throw them _at_."

"I'll remember that, sensei."

"But, we're not here to work on your martial arts skills. This is to see how well you do with magic, and in furtherance of that... Lotte-san?"

Lotte nodded, and walked over from Hayate's side, looking Laura up and down as the girl straightened, making thoughtful sounds. She made several circuits, before saying, "this is supposed to be a Velka device, but I don't see a cartridge magazine. Where did you hide it, Laura?"

Laura blinked, then did her own quick hand-and-eyes check of Paradox and her armor. Sure enough, none of the sections of hard plastic were sufficient to contain more than one or two cartridges, and certainly not enough space to hold both a magazine of cartridges and the 'firing chamber' to release their energy. "Um, gimme a minute?" It was getting easier to communicate mentally with Paradox each time she tried. It was like the device was nestled in the back of her mind, just waiting for her attention to answer her questions. The answer this time was surprising, but offered some interesting possibilities. "Paradox, chamber rounds."

That laconic voice rumbled, "Aye, Gunny," again, and there was an echoing metallic sound. Laura felt a weird unified jolt, as six ports opened simultaneously in her armor. The original device plates on her hips, shoulders and hands opened, narrow rectangular plates rising at one end to create sloping openings. "Magazines ready," Paradox told her.

Lotte considered them for a moment, reaching out to finger the one on Laura's left shoulder, and asked, "Are each of those separate discharge chambers? I thought your components only included one chamber?"

"Yup," Laura told her, "I didn't mean for this, it just sorta happened when he activated."

"Signum?" Hayate interrupted, concern evident in her voice, "is this possible? Could she trigger all of them at once?"  
Signum considered it for a moment, nodding slowly. "There is no mechanical reason why not, but... the discharge is always difficult to control, that is why even when we use multiple cartridges, they trigger one at a time. With this arrangement... I will have to study how the device manifested, but it might be possible for her to discharge six cartridges at once."

Laura hastened to reassure, "Not that I'm going to! I'm crazy, not stupid."

"That's debatable," she heard Yussef mutter.

She stuck out her tongue in reply, then carried on, "I can't control two cartridges at once. I'll go over the programming with sensei, and make sure it can only trigger one at a time. But this'll give me redundancy, and I'll be able to…"

A shove in her shoulder distracted her, and she looked over in time to see Lotte slap the magazine closed on a cartridge. A moment later, a blaring tone sounded in her ear, loud enough to make her flinch, and Paradox announced, "Error – improper calibration. Discharge and recalibrate cartridge," followed a moment later by the cartridge being summarily ejected.

Lotte caught the spinning item, and grinned, "Well, we know it'll use the same size cartridge as Levantine, they'll just have to be calibrated properly."

"I'll loan you twelve," Signum told Laura, "we'll calibrate one tonight, so you know how, and you can do the rest over vacation."

That brightened Laura's day considerably, "Thank you, sensei!"

"Don't thank me yet. You're not allowed to use them without supervision, understood?"

That was not so great, and Laura replied in a somewhat disappointed voice, "Hai, sensei."

Signum nodded, then turned back to Lotte, "Sorry to interrupt."

Lotte shrugged, "no problem, Signum-chan." A purple eyebrow twitched, but Signum did not reply, so Lotte grinned, and moved on. "So, you have armor, you have cartridges, but you don't have a weapon. You said something about a flying bird?"

Laura nodded, then glanced at Signum. "Does this qualify as 'pre-arranged training', sensei?"

Signum understood immediately what she was asking, "just summon it, Laura. You had best be able to reinforce it, it is not designed for use as a mage-weapon."

"Paradox, bring me Hicho."

"Aye, Gunny."

The drain this time was sharper, a rapid flow of energy from her, through Paradox and down her arms, a growing white halo that concentrated on her hands, then leaped off them to merge in the air, forming a glowing white line. Reaching into it, she felt her hands settle on the wooden haft, and pulled her naginata through the opening in reality. The energy of the spell coalesced around it as she drew it out, forming two counter-spirals of glossy black up and down the haft, with a solid spike off the base and a reinforcing spine along the back of the blade.

Laura hefted it for a moment, then rotated it vertically into her right shoulder, holding it with right hand at her hip and left at her shoulder, and bowed to Signum. "My weapon, should I need more than my fists, sensei. Since the one who loaned it to me won't tell me what its name is, I call it Hicho, since it is so light and quick in my hands."

Signum and Lotte both took a few minutes to study the weapon, passing it back and forth, before Signum gave it back to Laura, asking, "Do you require it to cast spells?"

"No, sensei. Hicho's enhanced by the Paradox, not required."

"Then put it back, please," Lotte ordered. The spell to return Hicho to its place on her wall was a simple enough reversal, stripping away the magical enhancements at the same time. When it was done, Lotte asked, "How does that work, Laura? It was not a teleport, or a real portal, but..."

Laura consulted for a moment with Paradox, and for a few seconds actually managed to argue with him. The methodology she had envisioned and he had executed varied from one another subtly, but they disagreed as to why. She was quite enjoying the silent debate when a cough interrupted them. "Ah, gomen, sensei. We're not precisely sure how it worked. Best I can offer is it… sort of makes _here_ and _there_ the same, for a second, so I can just reach out and pick up Hicho. Not sure if it would work for anything else, it only worked for Hicho because sensei has been showing me how to bond it properly."

"A paradox in truth," Aria commented, "and dangerous if you do it wrong. That sounds remarkably close to tearing a whole in reality."

"No it's not," Laura frowned, wondering where Aria could get that idea from, "it's just like a wormhole, only smaller and over shorter distances."

Lotte laughed, "What have you been teaching them in that physics course, nee-chan?"

"We haven't covered relativistic physics yet," Aria replied, "Laura's just being precocious. Tell me, Laura, what is the equation commonly used to posit the existence of wormholes?"

"E equals M C squared?"

One cat-ear twitched, "no. You will present me the correct formula, with a mathematical proof, by the end of March. Then we shall see if your method of summoning Hicho is a wormhole or not."

Laura sagged a little at that. When Aria wanted a mathematical proof, she wanted _math_, not words, and Laura knew her own weaknesses well enough to know how she would be spending most of next three months. Looking up equations and obtuse physics papers that had none of the cool effects and thought-problems she liked, just trying to find that proof. Still, it was something she _was_ interested in, so, "hai, sensei."

"All right," Lotte announced, grabbing Laura by the shoulder and spinning her to face the far end of the workroom. "You've shown us the device, shown us your armor, and shown us a weapon. Now, show us a spell, ne?"

"Okay," Laura agreed, "what spell?"

Lotte just grinned at her, "What've you got?"

"Show us the Positron Beam," Signum requested, "Vita's been dying to see it."

Behind her, Laura heard Vita yell, "Urusai! No I'm not, I'm bloody scared of it! Fool girl's probably going to blow out the shields."

Laura tuned that out, however, and reached for Paradox again. "Positron Buster," she ordered, "range fifty meters."

"Aye, Gunny," Paradox replied, and the energy began gathering from her. She raised her right fist, aiming it down-range, and the gem on the back of that hand began to glow. A moment later, a white pinprick floated up out of the gem, stopping a centimeter or so clear as it continued to grow brighter. It took a good sixty seconds, and Laura was feeling the strain badly, before Paradox finally announced, "Charge complete, package ready."

"Fire," Laura ordered sharply, and the diamond-chip sphere flashed from her hand, shining brilliantly as it moved. It reached fifty meters, and suddenly there was a flash too bright to be any color, and an explosion loud enough to shake the chamber and caused everyone, Laura included, to flinch and cry out in surprise.

"Jesu y Maria," Allina shouted, finding her voice first, "what _was_ that, Laura?"

"Positron Buster," Laura muttered back, fingering one ear to try and do something about the ringing in her ear. "Realized that, if I tried to make it a beam, it would've blown up in my face. So it creates a packet of positrons, contained in a packet of electrons. When it reaches the target distance, the get together, have a little party," she grinned at her classmates, and finished, "and there's an Earth-shattering kaboom."

"An 'Earth shattering kaboom'?" Signum seemed more put out by the flippant terminology than by the attack, "that's one way of putting it."

"Marvin the Martian," Allison muttered just loud enough to be audible, "best cartoon ever created."

"It's a slow attack, though," Lotte commented, "plenty of time to build a defense against it, especially if you take the time to make it stronger. That was, what... less than a tenth of Ragnarok Breaker? If you can match that level of strike, it will be useful, but at anything lower, it takes too long."

Laura shrugged, "PB's not my main buster spell, it's sort of a trump-card. I really designed it to use up a pair of cartridges."

"What's you primary attack spell, then?"

Laura snapped up her left hand, fingers loosely spread down range, and ordered, "Zipper! Fire!" There was no response from Paradox this time, just a flicker of white in her palm, then a pin-thick beam leaped from between her fingers. It shot down-range with a whip-crack sound, reaching to the far end of the room, ruler-straight, and burned itself out against the shields. "A zero-point energy laser. Not sure if it's _really_ possible, not like wormholes, but the concept's cool. It's just a quick-shot laser spell."

A thoughtful look on her face, Signum asked, "Are all your attacks precision shots? That beam was not very wide, the Positron Buster shot was small as well. I suppose the Positron spell can be an area-effect, but only on detonation. Do you have any wide-area spells?"

Laura shook her head, "Didn't think of that. You've been training me to be as precise as possible, so..."

"Not criticism, just curiosity," Signum replied, "but there are occasions when a wide-area spell is better. We'll work on it later."

"Those are good enough for now," Lotte agreed, "not as flexible as Noriko's Cascade, or as powerful as Yussef's Buster Cannon, but respectable. We'll have to see what they're like with cartridges, next semester. Now, how about mobility?"

"Oh, cool," Laura sang out, "now I get to fly!"

She had to think about it for a moment, and got a surprise. Paradox gave her two answers, one she expected and one she did not. She grinned up at Signum, who was hovering a meter or so up and fifteen or so off to one side. She and her device spoke in unison, "Escher Step." Then she headed towards her sensei. She started out walking on the floor, but rapidly accelerated into a full charge... with every other step taking her further from the ground. When Signum blocked her round-house, she was standing on absolutely nothing, a meter higher than her teacher.

The two of them stood there for a second, Signum considering her stance, before saying, "Cute. Flashy. But not really flight."

"Nope," Laura agreed with a shrug, then shifted her weight to the blocked foot and pivoted around it as it bent, launching another sweeping kick, this time standing at just over ninety degrees from the floor. For a moment she felt a thrill of a different sort, as she actually surprised her teacher, forcing Signum to launch backwards to avoid the strike. "It's walking on imaginary surfaces!"

Hovering some distance off now, Signum frowned at her, "imaginary surfaces?"

"M. C. Escher made paintings and drawings of eccentric viewpoint," Aria explained. "He was famous for having multiple figures in his works, each with a different frame of reference, so what was 'down' for one figure was not necessarily 'down' for any other figure. Also for having surfaces run into one another, and for his works endlessly looping in on themselves."

"Imaginary surfaces," Laura repeated. "I'm still moving at my own speed like this, but 'down' is whatever direction I want it to be."

"But that is not the flight requested," Signum replied. "Show us that."

Laura sighed, a little disappointed not to be able to experiment with Paradox's spell, but nodded. "Freefall," she ordered.

"Aye, Gunny," Paradox answered, and the drag of gravity faded from her.

Her test in the end took longer than the others', a good two hours of four- and five-way questioning as Lotte, Signum, Aria, Hayate and occasionally Vita questioned what she had done or how. Unlike Noriko's test, there was little to no discussion with her classmates, though they were often just as vocal as the teachers. Finally, however, Lotte declared the test over, and told her to shut down Paradox.

Putting one hand on the gem at her throat, she said, "Thank you, Paradox. Sleep now." There was no reply from the device, but for a moment she felt the power flowing around her, swirling into that gem under her finger-tips. When the glow cleared, the armor was gone, along with most of the gems. Resting between her fingertips was a small but wide black and, set with a white gemstone. Opposite the stone was a break in the ring, with a hinged post. Acting on instinct, Laura reached up and set that post against her ear, and felt it slide through her previously un-pierced ear easily, latching onto a hook in the band. Interestingly, she could still feel a ribbon of power flowing to the device, something Noriko and Yussef had not reported. _I'll have to ask them when I can get them alone someplace,_ she decided.

Lotte fingered the earring for a moment, then the two shared a grin, "Your mother's not going to like that, is she, Laura-chan?"

------------------------------

"All right, children," Hayate called out after standing, just a little louder than absolutely necessary. "I know you're looking forward to dessert, but I have a few things to say first."

Looking around at the cluster of faces turning towards her, she felt uncomplicated joy at what she saw. While there was, and always had been, plenty of space to spread out in the dining hall, her collection of students and mages were gathered at two tables side by side, and not by anyone's orders. They were not even occupying all of either table, but clustered at the same end of each, allowing conversations to flow back and forth, at least a little. Seeing all of them gathered in one place, as a comfortable group instead of the collection of individuals she had brought together... that, more than their test scores, told her she was succeeding here, that she had made the right decision. The fact that, despite their different cultures, outlooks and experiences, they could sit and eat comfortably, not just with each other, but with their teachers, was all the proof she needed that she could create a family of mages, to protect her world and people, exactly as she had wanted to since the Tome of the Night Sky woke on her shelf.

"First off, I wanted to congratulate all of you on how well you have done this year. I know coming here has been difficult for you, that you all left something behind, gave up something else, to be here, and I thank you for that. I also know that this school is hardly traditional, by anyone's standards, and that our unique approach and subjects have made this semester more difficult than they strictly had to be." _Even without the Circles' testing our defenses and trying to kidnap one of you,_ her conscience insisted on adding.

"Despite those difficulties, all of you have risen to the challenge admirably, and we are quite proud of you." She held up a hand to cut off half-formed questions she could see in her students' faces, "and no, I am not going to tell you what the semester's final grades or class standings are. They aren't finished yet, and I would prefer for all of you to be equally worried over vacation, rather than just a few of you." Everyone smiled at that, though Noriko's looked a little forced, and several of the children chuckled.

"That being said, there are a few rules, mostly for our trio of scoff-laws. Specifics are on your PDAs, but I wanted to make sure you aren't surprised by anyone. Generally, while I will not tell you not to use magic at all, please be very, very careful. You all have excellent control, but however hard we have pushed you, your training so far has all been in protected, stable areas, with aide near to hand, and generally in workrooms that limit the potential for personal or collateral damage. Also, your families think they have some idea what you have learned here, but they probably will not be truly prepared for what you can do. Show them, if you wish, but do so carefully. Laura, Noriko and Yussef, the three of you need to be especially careful. You are new to your devices, and still not fully cognizant of just how much of a difference they make.

"We'll be taking you home one at a time tomorrow, timing it so you each arrive at mid-morning, so you should have plenty of time to say 'good bye' before then. For now, however, this will be our last night together this year, so..." she picked up her glass, holding it up until everyone mirrored her, "a toast. To magic, to knowledge, and to the exploration of both for the betterment of our world."

"To magic," rumbled back, and everyone drank.

"A touch formal," Hayate said, "but a good tradition, I think, to remind us all why we are here. Now, Mariachi. I see you've tried to hide your guitar under the table again. Would you play for us, while Noriko and Laura help Tito-san bring out dessert?"

------------------------------

Author's Notes (there's a bunch!):

Hicho: 'Flying Bird'. The naginata Noriko's father 'loaned' to Laura is now named Hicho. Found the term on-line just futzing around looking up Japanese names & words, so the translation is of dubious veracity.

Senbonzakura: as several of you have pointed out, Senbonzakura's name and Noriko's Cascade of Spring Glory are based on the Bleach character Kuchiki Byakuya and his zanpakto. The name and Cascade have both been my intention for her since chapter three or so, and she hasn't yet shown just how dangerously versatile Cascade can be. I meant to note that at the end of last chapter, but it was two in the morning when I finished writing it & almost as late when I finished reviewing it & posted it the next day. My apologies.

Paradox: Laura's device has gone through several complete revisions. It was originally going to be a sword, but that would have made her too much like Signum and Yussef. Then it was the naginata, but what happens if she has to give it back? After that was the Lance of Longinus from Evangelion, but I was getting carried away with that weapon's morphic abilities. I realize that most Velka use weapons as their device, so the appearance of Paradox might cause some complaints, but, and this is a stretch, Paradox _does_ form a weapon. Remember Laura was trained by her brother in martial arts, if in a fairly ad hoc manner, and has spent the past four months undergoing more rigorous training under Signum. Signum's training included weapon work, but was far from being _only_ weapon work. Thus, in the deepest recesses of her subconscious, from whence a device draw's its connection to its wielder, her own body is her most familiar weapon. It also looks cool, maintains her habit of being abnormal, and will help me create an image of her I've had in my head since day one (that the rest of you will get to see in a few chapters).

Finally, a note on how I use a couple terms that I use to mean specific things: warriors and soldiers. A warrior is a supremely skilled, self-motivated, highly dangerous _individual_. A soldier is a well-trained, well-equipped, highly disciplined member of an _organization_. Warriors are like Viking Bearsarks, Japanese Samurai, or Medieval Knights – dangerous in and of themselves, regardless of the situation, their equipment, or who's around them. Warriors tend to lack discipline, be flamboyant, and are much more likely to be selfish and foolhardy. A solider, in contrast, is highly disciplined, trained to function as part of a unit, and is essentially no more dangerous than any civilian when not equipped and lacking the support of their unit. It is possible to be both, as evinced by US Navy Seals and Marine scout-snipers, British SAS, and Russian Spetznaz, but there is little place in modern warfare for pure warriors. In contrast, in the Nanoha series, every character is a warrior, not a soldier. Even Shamal, who works to support the others, is far closer to what I call a warrior than a soldier. The way they are spoken of (since they never seem to appear on screen), the Bureau's Enforcers seem to be soldiers, but the character mages are all warriors. Laura, and Noriko to some extent, are warriors. Yussef, however, is a soldier. It's not immediately critical, but it will hopefully clarify what I meant above and in future chapters.

Last note: Laura's pass-phrase is taken (until the 'my' part) from a trailer for Starcraft: Ghost.

------------------------------

TheWhiteMonk: yeah, the side-effects of an incomplete Paradox were not good, but each of the trio had adverse reactions. I've got a ways to go, so continue I must.

Eni Li'Nave: Sorry, didn't mean to trump you, but the chapter was finished, so I posted. Fair warning, that was a _long _review, so this'll be a long reply. The contrast between Yussef's views and realities is amusing, and is one of the reasons Laura aggravates him so. If no one figures out the real weakness of Deva magic beforehand (and no one's mentioned it yet), there will be an in-story explanation within the next two to four chapters, depending on how things roll out. Hayate's reaction was typical for her how I've changed her character over the course of Vengeance & Academy Blues – she's overprotective, but intelligent, and there was no way the boys were going to have that sort of training without supervision, and since Yussef volunteered, Zafira decided to really test him. It's what usually happens when you exercise initiative beyond the norm. Cidela's familiar project is a late development, mostly because it was the only way to solve a plot-problem from later on. The familiar won't be too ridiculous, I promise. The references to Akira in Chapter 16 were not to him showing up again, but back to what he told Yussef and Noriko in Chapter _15_, apologies for the confusion, but his next appearance should be suitably... in-character:). The revelations were fun to write, and I actually planned on two different routes – first that the devices would be revealed when the Circles make their move, then just before the devices were finished, but... the way I handled it seemed to flow a little more smoothly with Hayate's 'freedom to learn' approach. I can only think of one instance when someone's shown charging a cartridge, in one episode of As Shamal as charging cartridges for Signum and Vita, and made a comment about 'that's what I do, as a support mage', but I figure any mage who's going to use the system has to know how it's done. Yussef's confrontation with Zafira was harsh but... neither of them is real sociable, Zafira because of purpose, Yussef because, skilled as he is, he's still a fourteen year old boy. As for his device, both he and it have a lot to learn, but will have their moment to shine. The auto-guard spell strikes me as one of those 'fundamental due to collective experience' things, like seat-belts and air-bags – not always thought of by the users, but necessary in the face of a society's collective experience. As for Noriko's armor – samurai in the Shogun era would bring folding fans into battle, and some even used them. From what I gather it was a sort of, "I'm good enough to take you on with this artsy toy instead of a blade." There's also a rather beautiful painting I've seen of a samurai, in full armor, dancing with two fans _prior _to a battle. It was also the only armor I could envision her in... I just can't see her in a school-girl uniform, however modified. As for the bond, I'd argue that we never see a device activated by more than one user. Raging Heart was used by Yuuno, yes, but we only ever see it with him in its storage mode, while Raging Heart appears to form itself to fit Nanoha, much as her Barrier Jacket does. Laura was, originally, in the lead on construction, though Yussef would have finished a day or so ahead of time due to his simpler design... until Takashi and Akira gave Yussef and Noriko a boost while Laura was learning to enhance her senses, then Signum took her device away. Total timing was as follows: Yussef finished his device the Saturday of the first week of December, Noriko was a week later (the end of the week in which their project was revealed), and Laura, obviously, finished hers the last day of class, though she could have finished it the weekend before finals. As for the kids' bonds with their devices being deeper than they should be... that'll be explained a little later. Thank you for still enjoying this enough to take that much time to comment. You're doing wonders for my poor fragile ego:)!

HWSoD: that's a big compliment, huge. All I can think of is... thanks! Almost enough to convince me to listen to my parents and start working on pure original stories, but... I still have trouble with world-building. Something I'm going to have to think about.

Kell Shock: Laura's temper problem was caused by separation from the device (as well as the instability caused by it's incomplete nature). I'm still feeling sorry for what's going to happen to the Circles when they run into her, though. Fate created Arf after Bardiche, so no, Cidela's familiar won't be too powerful, but there's all sorts of 'threat'.

CrimsonDX: Senbonzakura's fans are 50 cm, which is a little less than 20 inches or... about as long as a 17" computer monitor is wide. Senbonzakura, along with the other three devices, will get to show off later, a couple times. Let me know when you post your story, and I'll take a look.

HoagieOfDoom: Thanks for the compliment on Path of Vengeance. Hope you're enjoying this one as well (hope you're reading it, actually:).

Ariel Stormcloud: thanks.

SilverDuranX: Thank's for the compliment. Hope you've read this far by now, and that you're still enjoying it.

Sheo Darren: The triggering arias are deliberately different, since each one is supposed to be a unique reflection of the character. I'm think I may include the 'tie you two together' incident in a Side Story... since I wrote that, I've become curious myself as to what those two did to convince Lotte to do that? Glad you liked it, hoped this chapter lived up as well.

Valles: Sorry to make you loose your bet, but Laura's Paradox isn't a gun, though it does use some US Marine terminology. I know the Deva Magic is a major change, and I have been avoiding Nanoha, Fate and the rest, but there are reasons. Partly, it's because Hayate is my favorite of the dominant three characters in As (the other two being Fate and Nanoha, naturally). For the most part, it's how I'm most comfortable writing – I have trouble making worlds that aren't ridiculous and/or incoherent, but I love creating my own characters. Also, Hayate offered the clearest chance, in my mind, to break away from the 'stop-the-dangerous-artifact' mold that Path of Vengeance held to. The Deva magic was a thought I had partly to explain how certain events in Vengeance occurred, and partly as an experiment in a little of that world-building. The original cast will have parts later in the story, fairly significant, but I had to focus on someone.


	19. 19 Winter of Our Discontent

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 19 – Winter of Our Discontent -

Walking down her home street with Hayate felt a little odd, to Laura. For one thing, she was far more used to spending time with Signum. For another, things looked strange, and the idea of her home looking strange was... discomfiting. The terrain was still the same – a curb-less blacktop road consisting of more cold-patch than actual pavement, tall young-growth forest with a few houses hidden amongst the stands, everything that shade of gray-brown that New England adopts from October to February. What she was used to now, however, was the snow-covered evergreens of the Academy's valley, sheltered within the low rugged peaks that formed it.

"Relax, Laura-chan," Hayate whispered shortly before they reached her driveway. "There's nothing here to be worried about."

"I'm not worried," Laura countered, "just... this looks kinda strange. I haven't been home in so long, I kinda got used to the Academy."

"I'm afraid the world you grew up in will never look quite the same," Hayate confessed a little sadly. "I know mine never has. There's a saying..."

"You can never go home again," Laura finished, "yeah, heard it from a cousin when everyone found out I was leaving. I just... didn't think it would happen this fast."

"You've had an exciting, tumultuous semester," Hayate reminded her. "Of course it changed you. In a good way, I think, and I know your parents will like the change."

They reached the driveway, and both of them paused for a moment, surprised by the sheer number of vehicles occupying it. Laura counted cars, noting familiar ones as she went, listing off in her head who was there. _That's Mems' and Grumpy's car, that's auntie Sue's, Cousin Todd which means Eric and Mike... _ it looked like most of her family from the immediate area had shown up, but she was far from done when she spotted one roller-skate of a car up close to the house, and everything else went out of her head completely.

She hit the front door like a hammer but barely noticed, shouting greetings to the various people in her way, until she spotted her target. She barreled into him shouting, "Nii-san! You're here!"

He grunted in surprise, only halfway around to face her, but managed to turn her momentum into spin, and she was laughing her head off as he hefted her up. Despite being built like her and their mother, all sinew and bone, he still managed to toss her airborne, "Damn, squirt, you weigh a ton! What've they been feeding you over there, lead? And what's this 'knees and', huh?"

Laura only laughed as he spun her around and set her down, then corrected him, "That's _Nii-san_, N-I-I hyphen S-A-N. It means 'older brother'. You're such a jarhead, Brian."

"Why, yes, I am," he said back, ruffling her hair, "What happened up here, prank backfire?"

She made a half-hearted attempt to fend him off, then gave up and pulled him into a hug again. He had not been home since leaving for Basic Training a year and a half before, and neither letters nor phone calls were as good as having him home. "No, the prank worked fine, but I had to make up for it. Riko-chan's sensitive about her hair."

"Red, though? I like it. Obvious warning to all and sundry that you're hideously dangerous."

"I am not hideous anything! You take that back!"

The short argument that followed, half verbal sparring and half physical wrestling, was great. She had not been able to indulge in anything like it since he left, and she was laughing her head off even before Brian resorted to tickling. Which ended their reunion, as her shriek drew their mother's ire. "Brian! Stop torturing your sister and bring her back out front. She's neglecting her teacher!"

Brian wound up hauling her along, since she refused to stand, but once they were back out in the living room, she reversed the roles, sprinting ahead and pulling him by the hand. "Hayate-sensei, gomen nasai! This is my nii-san, Brian! Don't mind the smell, he's a Marine."

Hayate just smiled at her, and sketched a bow towards Brian, who actually managed a credible return. "So you're the magnificent Hayate Yagami, huh? Sorry for the unholy terror here, she's always been like this. You should see what she's like on a sugar high."

"I have," Hayate replied, "one of her friends snuck a box of something called 'pixie sticks' on campus and gave them to her. I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually bounce off a roof like that without magic."

Laura knew Hayate was trying to be 'chastising', but she was too happy, and remembered the specific incident with amusement. "Oh, come on, Hayate-sensei, those beds are made for jumping on."

Chuckling, Brian asked, "How'd you get Pixie Sticks in Japan, squirt?"

Before she could answer, a hand grabbed the top of Laura's head in a vice-like grip, pushing over to her left. "Laura Michelle Sims! What is this _thing _in your _ear_?!"

"Ow! Mom!"

"Looks like an earring, Mom," Brian said unhelpfully. "Really should've taken that out before you got home, squirt. A hole she might've missed, that great big honkin' hunk a plastic? Not real subtle. And, if you were going to get your ears pierced, you should've at least gotten a pair."

"Laura! I told you, no jewelry until you're sixteen! I waited that long, so can you! I won't have my little girl trying to turn into some half-civilized biker!"

Laura heard the lecture, but most of her attention was focused on trying to twist out of her mother's grip without hurting anyone or making the situation worse. Then she felt her mother's free hand tug on Paradox, trying to find the clasp, and panicked. "NO! You can't take it!" Her own hands came up, seizing at her mother's wrists and _twisting_ her thumbs into pressure-points, causing bone to grind oddly under her hands. Her mother gasped in surprise and pain, and let go, which opportunity Laura used to spin away, both hands going to cup her earring. _Paradox? You still with me?_ There was no verbal response, but that node of awareness in the back of her mind, the one she had already become used to, pulsed once, a reassuring sense of calm.

"Calmly, everyone," Hayate said, resting a hand on Laura's shoulder and holding up another to stop her mother, "calmly. This was a misunderstanding. A moment, please, to explain?"

"That hurt, Laura," her mother said, rubbing both wrists, "this had better be a very good explanation."

"Your daughter is quite skilled, and quite strong, Misses Sims," Hayate explained. "She is, in fact, in the running for head of her class. What you think is an earring is a large part of the reason _why _she is so highly ranked. It is actually an intelligent device, similar to my Reinforce though not as advanced."

Laura's mother blinked at her in surprise, "But... Reinforce was a staff, a long one."

Hayate held out her left hand, palm up, and white energy flowed down her arm to pool in her hand. When it cleared, a small metal pendant was revealed, a two-centimeter spiked barbell. "This is Reinforce, in her storage mode. The 'earring' Laura is wearing is _her_ device in storage mode. She and two other students created them as a semester project. I admit, it was sooner than we expected or planned, but the trio have demonstrated to our satisfaction that they are ready to learn such advanced skills. She is not violating your rules, Misses Sims, but devices' storage forms are, in many ways, up to them, not their wielder."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Laura said, relaxing as Paradox continued to reassure her he was all right, "I didn't mean to hurt you, but when I thought you were going to take him, I... panicked."

"She is very new to her device," Hayate continued, "She only activated it yesterday, which is one of the reasons she has to remain in physical contact with it for a time. There is a bond between any mage and their device, and Laura's bond with Paradox is not yet stable. The longer it remains in contact with her, at best hanging from her ear, the sooner the bond will stabilize and the stronger it will be."

"But..." Laura held her breath as her mother paused, visibly debating the matter, and wished her father would intervene. But he never did, when she and her mother were at odds, and refrained now. Finally, though, her mother sighed slightly, and continued, "... does she have to look so much like a pirate?"

Laura relaxed ever so slightly, "Thank you, Mom."

"We can probably get a copy made," Brian offered, "there should be a store in the mall that'll make a custom earring, and that's not exactly fancy."

Laura felt her good mood returning in an instant, and tried to tackle Brian again, "Thanks, nii-san!"

"Another reason she needs to keep her device on her," she heard Hayate whisper to her father, "is safety. I cannot apologize enough for Kyoto, but her device is part of the steps we have taken to safeguard her. If it is removed, we will know immediately, and respond in force. Taking her device is the first thing anyone attempting to kidnap her will do. If she activates it at all, we will check to see why, but if it is removed, we will assume it is hostile intent and respond accordingly."

Laura paused long enough to listen, as her father asked, "That the only extra defense?"

"Nope," Laura answered, holding up her other wrist. Twined around her watchband was a simple length of string, tied in a complicated cradle around a small white pebble. "She gave each of us one of these to call in case of trouble."

"They are beacons," Hayate explained. "Each of my students has been given one, and taught how to use them. If they have time, they are to use the beacons. If not, the wards on her device, and other wards, will trigger. She is as safe here as she would be at school, and I doubt whoever tried to take her in Kyoto will try again, either with her or with any of the other students. They seem to be more interested in testing me and my Knights, than in actually harming the students. Still, precautions are called for, and one of us will be monitoring them at all times during vacation."

To an extent, Laura was less than pleased to hear that. It was like she was going to be graded if she ever decided to show her parents what she had learned. Yet, it also made her feel significantly safer, knowing her teachers were seconds away if trouble came looking for her. Mostly, though, she was looking forward to someone trying to kidnap her again, now that she had Paradox. "I'm going to be fine, Dad," she said, "Signum-sensei'll be here in seconds, and with Paradox, I'm not going to be nearly so easy to trick."

Brian fingered the earring, then ruffled her hair. "Paradox, huh? Any particular reason, or were you just being silly again?"

------------------------------

"Master Adept, the latest monitoring reports from the school."

A sideways glance showed a uniformed young woman standing over his chair, a thin sheaf of papers extended in one hand. Without actually looking up from the book in his lap, he asked, "what do they say, Journeywoman?"

She blinked, then paled slightly, "they were transmitted in cipher, Master Adept, your eyes only."

"I trust you deciphered them?"

"Of course, Master Adept."

When she remained silent, he sighed slightly, and gave her an admonishing look. "While you are far from ugly, I did not select you for your looks, Journeywoman. You have demonstrated a great deal of intelligence, loyalty and skill, despite your lack of strength, and that is what I selected. There are very few intelligent people who can shut off their minds, so I have no doubt that, while deciphering the message, you read it. No doubt just to verify there were no errors." She was alternately blushing and paling now, obviously torn between embarrassment at being caught and pride at his compliments. "Now, what does it say?"

She visibly steeled herself, bowed slightly in apology, and told him, "Fifteen of the students have been returned home. Only the Egyptian girl remains at the school at present. Even the Mexican went back to his orphanage. Our observers have not been able to determine for how long they will be gone, but it should not be much beyond the western New Year."

The Master Adept nodded slowly, "Christmas holidays, as expected. Local monitors are in place?"

"Yes, Master Adept."

He nodded again, "Good." Then he turned back to his book, focusing his attention on the printed words. A moment later, though, he asked, "you have a question, Journeywoman?"

"Please excuse me, Master Adept but... should we not try to rescue the children now? While they will no doubt be monitored, we have proven able to evade the witches' tracing attempts with ease. As widely separated as they are now, a simultaneous strike could have all the children in safe-houses by sunrise."

"I applaud your initiative, but think it through a little further. After the Kyoto experiment, where I might remind you, we lost two mages on a mission that netted us only a little more information, they will be triply cautious. I have no doubt that at least one of the 'witches', as you call them, is on duty much as our safe-houses always have a monitor. Also, there is the Yagami woman's strange capabilities, which we have been completely unable to analyze. Even the Doctor is baffled by them, which is why we have undertaken this costly sideways approach. Finally, there is this saying from the First Grand Master: 'Victory is always planned, defeat is always improvised.' At first, I, too, thought to take advantage of this vacation of theirs, but... the Yagami woman is too much the unknown. A good idea, simply not as good as the plan we are following."

"My apologies, Master Adept."

"Oh, don't apologize, Journeywoman. I told you, I selected you as an aide for your intelligence, you were just exercising it. Just don't stop at the idea, think it through all the way."

"Yes, Master Adept."

She walked away, heading towards the aircraft's rear and her communications systems again, but he found himself unable to focus on his book for a few moments. Turning slightly, leaning back in the well padded chair, he looked out one small window, at the passing Russian countryside. _Somewhere down there, Natalia Morisovich has returned home,_ he thought. _Enjoy your vacation, Natalia, and make your goodbyes thorough. Once you are apprenticed, I doubt you will ever see them again._

------------------------------

Yussef's reaction to returning home was... decidedly mixed.

He was certainly glad to be away from the cold, finally. While he could deal with it, and made very certain never to show any discomfort, he never really felt warm at the Academy, even when he cranked his room's thermostat to 'max'. There was no possibility of being cold in Doha, however, which was how he very much preferred it. Yet, walking around the family palace, he could not help thinking that, compared with the Academy and the places they visited in Kyoto, that it was... gaudy. He fully understood that even here, in what was nominally a private residence, his family represented Qatar and had to impress, but he found he had become use to the peaceful simplicity of the Academy's architecture and setting.

Then there was dealing with his family. For the most part that was simple enough, describing the mundane lessons, relating the kidnapping attempt and assuring his father that yes, the school's security had functioned perfectly, and so forth was relatively straight forward. But, there was the matter of whether or not to tell them that what he was learning was, well, _magic_. He was distinctly uncertain how any of them would react, even if they did simply accept Hayate's explanation of 'dimensional manipulation'. He had seen through that, and he was fairly confident that his parents were more intelligent than he was, so they probably had as well, but he was still very uncertain about how to tell them what, precisely, he was learning.

The most interesting thing had been how abruptly his relationship with his brothers changed. Both were older than he was, and both had, in their own ways, made it abundantly clear over the years that he was the bottom of the heap. Not that he really had room to object, even compared to the Academy it had been nothing more than elder brothers being elder brothers. But where before he had always been 'number three' and not even thought about it, he now had an odd feeling of being, not their equals, but... sideways, as if he was not quite part of that hierarchy any longer.

The most shining example of that he had was their usual roughhousing. While Faisal spent a little too much time reading to be an athlete, Omar was most definitely one, long claiming he would rather play football than inherit the throne. Yussef as almost as bad, and even Faisal was not going to put up with being man-handled, so it was not uncommon to see the three of them wrestling over nothing in particular, usually laughing like fools. The first time Omar surprised him over vacation, though, Yussef's reactions outpaced his thoughts, and Signum's and Zafira's training kicked in. Omar's attempted tackle converted into an ungainly flip, and he landed hard on his back, nearly cracking his skull on the stone floor, and coming back to himself to find Yussef standing over him looking almost as surprised.

"Ah, sorry, bro," Yussef said, shifting back slightly, then offering a hand. He had learned long ago to _sense_ impending assaults like that, but he had never managed to reverse one before, and the easy reflexive nature of it had been as surprising to him as to his brother.

Omar coughed, then grabbed Yussef's hand and pulled himself upright. "No problem," he rasped, still getting his breath back, "if you show me how the hell you did that. Damn, Yussef, I thought your teachers were all skirts, who the hell taught you that?"

"One of the 'skirts'," Yussef replied sardonically. "If you think I hurt you, you don't want to think about what Laura could do to you. She may be a ditz, but she's got reflexes like a cat, with a vicious streak to match."

Zafira's training failed him then, as Omar used their handclasp to wrench him into a headlock. "Yeah? you letting a girl beat you, little brother? I'm disappointed."

Trying to twist himself free unsuccessfully, Yussef grunted back, "Aria-sensei's the... weakest of the teachers... no device... thinker not a fighter." A well placed foot and a lunge to the side sent both of them tumbling back to the floor, and Yussef managed to reverse the situation, pinning Omar with a knee in the back and a hand on his neck. "She'd snap you like a twig, brother mine, with one hand tied behind her back. Wouldn't even break a sweat. She'd be very sorry, of course, but she'd do it."

"Tche, she's still a skirt," Omar grumbled in reply, before heaving Yussef off him, and they rolled a few times, each trying to get a solid hold.

"Boys!" The shout came from out of sight over the second floor balcony, but it froze them in place quite effectively. "I know it's been a few months, but if you two are fighting in the halls again, I _will_ ground the both of you, New Years or not!"

"No, Mother, we're not fighting," the two of them chorused, then grinned at each other.

"Race you to the pitch," Omar offered.

"Nah," Yussef said, hauling himself to his feet and dusting himself off, "I actually wanted to talk to Mother while she's free. Take Faisal, he needs to get his nose out of that book and get some exercise. I'll catch up in a little while."

Regardless of his newfound ability to stand up to his brothers, being the third child meant Yussef got the shower they shared last, when they were preparing for the Royal Family's New Years celebration. He finished quickly enough, but when he stepped back into his room, he froze and very carefully got the spike of fear under control before speaking. "Omar," he said slowly, "give him back to me."

Standing next to his dresser, Zulfiqar's dormant form half wrapped around his wrist, Omar gave him a curious look. "Say what?"

"That band," Yussef clarified, "give him back to me. He's dangerous."

"Come on, bro, let me borrow it tonight. You know Helen likes seeing me with stuff like this. It looks ancient but still cool, and she loves sapphires. I'll give it back in the morning."

Normally, Yussef would probably have been fine with it. The three of them often traded and loaned things to each other. But this was Zulfiqar, and he was not about to let the device out of his possession. "Anything else, Omar, but not that." Thinking fast, he made up the best excuse he could, "He's my control key and conduit, for the generators they're teaching me to use back in Kyoto. He can still tap them from here, but he's coded for my use only. If he thinks you're trying to use him, he'll turn that energy on you, Omar. It's too dangerous."

That got him a glare. "Too dangerous? Then why the hell are you wandering around with it all the time?"

"Cause I won't set off it's defense mechanisms," Yussef told him, but he was growing tired of this. Omar was still making no move to even put it down, and the longer he held it, the more nervous Yussef became. What if Omar tried to activate it, and Zulfiqar really did defend himself? Worse, what if he managed to _use_ Zulfiqar? Yussef was fairly certain that his family had the same potential for magic that he did, some of Hayate's comments had implied as much, but he had no idea how loyal his device would be, if it would allow another to use it or not. So, he retrieved it, operating on instinct more than thought, "Zulfiqar, Hejira!"

There was a chime, and a flash of blue from the gem, then, "Yes, Lord!" Omar grunted in surprise as the wrist-band wrenched out of his hand hard enough to pull him off balance, and he tried to lunge after it. But it was airborne, sailing easily into Yussef's outstretched hand. By the time it landed there, the sword was fully formed, and crackling with energy, which caused Omar to freeze in place, eyes wide with shock.

"The three of us made a deal," Yussef said, lifting Zulfiqar to stare between the blades at his brother, "When I was ten. You will lead our people, Faisal will teach them, and I will defend them. This, Omar, is the weapon I will use to fulfill my end of the deal. This is Jadeed Zulfiqar, my device and partner. I will loan you anything else you want, whenever you want, but never this. Never my Zulfiqar."

Omar nodded slowly, "right, that makes sense. Arguing over a bracelet didn't, but..." he shook his had rapidly for a moment, then nodded. "Sorry, man. Never touch another man's weapon without his permission, first rule of soldier's etiquette. Just didn't recognize it. I'll make sure Faisal knows." He paused, then gave Yussef a doubtful look and asked, "are you really going to swing that monster in one hand? It's what, two meters? That thing's damn near as tall as you are."

"The subspace pocket that holds most of its mass balances it," Yussef explained, knowing that would work better than 'magic makes it light'. "Zulfiqar, rest now." The device flashed back to its dormant form, wrapping comfortably around his wrist. Yussef fingered it for a moment, wondering at how suddenly his fear and anger had both appeared and vanished, then said, "I'm sorry to be so abrupt, Omar..."

"Don't worry about it," Omar said, "like I said, never touch another man's weapon without his permission. Just, you should have said something about that _being _a weapon."

Neither of them mentioned it again, though Faisal did give Yussef a strange look when he joined his family shortly before their guests began arriving. Sure enough, Omar's girlfriend was quite impressed with Zulfiqar's stored form. The New Years party went off without a hitch, and the next few days passed peacefully. But Yussef could not shake this feeling of disconnect, a sense of mental claustrophobia, that had him looking forward to returning to Kyoto. There were too many things going on that he simply could not discuss with his family, but he knew he could talk about with anyone at the school. It was a frightening and saddening moment, when he realized he was more eager to get back to Kyoto than he had been to come home.

-----------------------------

As Cidela finally drifted off to sleep, Shamal smoothed out her hair one more time, unable to resist one more subtle check to be sure the ritual had not harmed her favorite student. There was still no sign, beyond the strain and tiredness expected from a full day of spell-casting. The training device's channel to the new familiar was steady, and the familiar himself stable. Another touch of magic, accompanying a gentle caress of the tiny scaled head peaking out of the covers over Cidela's chest, proved that. The head shifted, eyes invisible in the dark, but Shamal felt a flickering touch as her hand drew back. "Good night, young one," she whispered, "guard her sleep well."

Shamal closed Cidela's door carefully, soundlessly, using a small bit of magic to lock it. Then she used a little magic to wrap the room in sound insulation, to make sure nothing woke the girl slumbering within. Once she was certain nothing would disturb Cidela, Shamal walked back down the hall to where her family was waiting.

She took her usual seat in one of the two wingback chairs, nodding her thanks to Lotte for the cup of tea already waiting beside it. "She's asleep," she told them, then her smile widened slightly, "finally."

The others smiled, and Hayate asked from the center of the couch, "Is she all right? Is she going to be all right? That was a powerful ritual, even shared between the two of you."

"She had to carry the hardest part," Shamal agreed, "but she took no harm from it. I trimmed the ritual as much as possible, to simplify it and to minimize the power needed. It means her new familiar will need a long time to build up to his full strength, but it will give her time to adapt to him, as well. The training device should allow her to function normally, once she acclimates to her new familiar, though I would ask, Lotte-chan, that you go easy on her for the next few months? She won't have very much strength left over for classes."

"Sure thing," Lotte replied easily as she settled down to curl up on a pillow at the floor, leaning against Aria's legs, as the other Leize sister read in the other wingback. "What's he look like?"

"At the moment, he remains in his basic animal form, and probably will for months to come," Shamal told her. "He looks remarkably like an Egyptian cobra. She named him Rafiq."

"Ally," Signum murmured approvingly from next to Hayate, "a fitting name for a guardian beast."

Vita, legs hanging over the arm of the couch as her head rested in Hayate's lap, gave Signum a jaundiced look, "A snake? That's just weird." She rolled her head sideways, "Why'd he have to be a snake, Shamal?"

"The snake is a symbol of healers in most Mediterranean cultures," Aria explained, "a legacy of the ancient Greeks, and Cid-chan is most definitely a healer. I think it is fitting. It will also make him easier to hide and to transport while he is growing."

"True," Shamal agreed, "and I believe his bite is poisonous, as well, which should give her an extra measure of defense. I'm happy with him, and he will give her something to distract her from any bouts of loneliness."

Brushing out Vita's hair with her fingers, bare feet nestled in Zafira's furry back, Hayate asked, "Do you think we should move her up here full time? I have to confess to being a little worried about her, despite your reassurances. It has to be difficult for her."

"Not yet," Shamal said, shaking her head slightly, "having her here over vacation is all right, when she would be otherwise alone in the dorm, but if we move her up here during the year, she would be separated from her classmates. She is doing very well with their support, forming a lot of friendships. That would be disturbed by moving her. If she has any serious problems, then I would suggest moving her up here, but not until then. Why borrow trouble?"

Hayate nodded, and a moment later so did most of the others. "We'll leave things as they are, then," Hayate decided. "Are we ready for the day after tomorrow?"

"Mostly," Signum opined, "mostly. Zafira and I are still debating who's going to pick up Yussef and Luke, but I believe that's the only issue."

"Not... quite," Shamal said slowly. "Our trio of precocious overachievers have a problem." That got everyone's attention, but she finished sipping her tea before asking, "do you remember, Hayate-chan, when you were re-creating Reinforce?"

Hayate looked a little confused at the change in subject, but nodded, "Yes, of course."

"Do you remember how Chrono-kun and Lindy-san helped you?" Another nod, and she continued, "they made you always work under supervision, correct? Always with the proper tools and equipment, always under strict conditions." Hayate was nodding continuously now, frowning slightly as she tried to puzzle where Shamal was going. "That is where we made our mistake. We watched them, yes, but we did not provide them the tools, the hardware, the equipment, that the Bureau considers necessary."

"But they made their devices," Vita objected, "obviously, they all demonstrated them."

Shamal nodded, "it is possible to make a device without artificial tools, but..."

"... they had to use their personal energies," Hayate finished softly, "to bind components together, to activate the core, to lift the heavier sections."

"Precisely," Shamal took another sip, thinking through her next statement. "I went back, while we have had this quiet time, and studied our recordings of their work. All three of them incorporated large amounts of personal energies into their devices. I then exercised the intelligence I should have when they started, and actually researched what happens in such cases. Midchildan and Velka devices built in such a manner are always amongst the most closely bonded with their wielders. Not as close as Deva devices, but closer than any device should be. I believe, actually, that the principles which caused this may be part of what Deva magic is based on."

"That would explain why the children were reacting so strangely," Aria commented, closing her book on a finger to give her full attention to the discussion, "their various problems before the devices were completed

"And why all three devices were personified so quickly," Signum agreed. "They're going to have some impressive capabilities, if the bonds hold."

"They will hold, in both directions." Shamal gave that a few moments to sink in, then explained, "Whatever happens to the children will happen to their devices, and the reverse is true. If someone manages to damage their devices, that damage will also happen to the children. The bond also means that their devices will not be as... willing to oppose... as our devices. If one of the children pushes themselves too far, where one of our devices would warn us or act to stop us, their devices will not necessarily do anything other than cooperate. These are not critical weaknesses, but they are present."

"And what happens if the device is destroyed?" Hayate's question was still quiet, but Shamal could hear the worry in her voice.

"They will probably die."

There was nothing anyone could say to that for a few minutes, the idea was too disturbing. Intelligent devices were supposed to be allies and aides, to carry a mage beyond their limits and make them _safer_. The idea that a device might become its wielder's weakness was... frightening, especially given the known threat to the school represented by the Circles.

Signum finally asked, "Is there any way to undo this?"

Shamal shook her head, "I do not yet know. I have already sent inquiries to Yuuno-kun to see if he can find any knowledge on the subject in the Infinity Library. If he cannot... I will have to study all three of them, but I think it should be possible to a least attenuate the bond."

"If you can't, we're going to have to train them hard," Vita rumbled, then smiled, "real hard, hard enough to make up for all the crap we've had to put up with from them last semester."

"Vita," Hayate said in a chastising tone, tapping her forehead lightly, "they were no more trouble than any other group of students, and less than most."

"But they were still trouble," Vita grumbled, "and we're still going to have to work them hard. Especially with these damn Circle bastards still on the loose."

"We'll do both," Hayate decided. "Shamal, work on attenuating or eliminating that linkage, even if we have to disassemble their devices and recreate them. Signum, Zafira, the three of us will start more formal individual training. We'll rotate use of the main workroom, every day after class, and early afternoons on Saturdays and Sundays. Push them as fast as they can learn, but don't risk burning them out. Vita, Aria, Lotte... find me the Circles, as quick as you can.

"But for now," she let the seriousness fade, and smiled, "It's a new year, and our last night of peace. Let's enjoy it, shall we?"

------------------------------

Author's Note:

Hejira: the Prophet Muhammed's flight from Mecca to Medina, after beginning to preach the foundation of Islam and being met with hostility by Mecca's tribes. Marks the first year of the Islamic calendar.

------------------------------

TheWhiteMonk: Bit of a rant, but I can't resist… I'm a history major myself (though not a practicing historian), so I'll agree, most of the groups you mentioned were soldiers, not warriors. But you're interpreting my use of Medieval Knights too broadly. Byzantine kataphractoi were national troops, for instance – though not a standing army as we know the term – raised, trained and equipped by the Emperor. They were NOT Medieval Knights. MKs, as I learned and use the term, were only around for a few centuries, between the fall of Charlemagne's empire and the Crusades, when European nations began solidifying (royal authority in England and France being tenuous and fluctuating prior), and only in Northern and Western Europe (England, France, what would become Germany and Spain), men who owed their lands to feudal lords, and were expected to arm and train themselves, then rally to their lord when he went to war. Never said a warrior could not be a professional, look at the Vikings. As for ancient soldiers, the best example of my use of the term 'soldier' is not a modern army, but Roman Legionnaires. But, so long as you got the point (disciplined team player vs individual master), it's all good. Glad you liked Laura's device, and while the climax of the story is on the horizon, there are quite a few chapters to go. Thanks for reviewing Path of Vengeance, as well.

Kell Shock: A big deal was made of how dangerous the cartridge system was in As, so yeah, Laura had to work a little harder. As for who's going to take on who when the Circles strike, I'm afraid you'll have to read on:).

valles: sorry to disappoint on the device, but… c'est la vie. As noted, I didn't know what her device was going to look like until I was halfway through the chapter (and had to go back and re-write it!) so don't feel too bad. Thanks for the 'Chekov's Gun' comment by the way – never heard of it before, but went and looked it up. I'm going to have to work on that. I'm confused about the 'science textbooks' comment, though? Laura's never read one, not even for class – the WWW makes things much easier to find!

CrimsonDX: Yes, Laura's powers are all based on physics, the further 'out there' the better, though I admit most of her spells were flashes of inspiration on my part, rather than planned out like Noriko's Cascade spell, or Yussef's bigger spells (that haven't been shown yet:). I was going to make Laura's armor bulkier, along the lines of Bubblegum Crisis, but decided that was too bulky, both for the setting and for her character. Like Fate, Laura relies on her speed and maneuverability above all, so her armor had to be light, but still incorporate the device.

Baughn: Hope the above answers how the kids are protected over their vacation (I _knew_ someone was going to ask that!). Lasers do strike effectively instantaneously (over human sensory ranges, anywho), and no, Laura did not just irradiate the class. If she can generate a containment field to hold anti-matter, she can contain any esoteric radiation and convert it to more useful thermal, EM (light) or kinetic (sound) radiation, which is the explanation I'm sticking with.

Eni Li'Nave: Pride, drive, take your pick – Laura's incapable of quitting, to be honest. Same with Yussef, Noriko, and most of the kids – taking after their teachers, if you ask me. As for Hayate's explanation of how bindings work, it's always made sense to me – look at how difficult it is for anyone to create 'non-lethal weapons' in the real world, it's incredibly difficult in large part because of the need to balance the forces involved (enough to incapacitate without killing or seriously injuring). The Circles make me cringe as well, even though they're my creation and they've got good reason to be scared of Hayate & her school. Your review actually reminded me of something I forgot in last chapter – there was _supposed_ to be a part explaining the 'cat in a box' spell, but I ran out of steam. It'll show up later. I'm glad you liked all the rest of her device and abilities, but I will confess, Laura's real understanding of quantum mechanics is probably no better than yours:), she just gets the gist/idea and runs with it. The math is way beyond her (remember the one class where Yussef's beating her hands-down?) though that may change w/ Aria's project. Noriko's expression at the end was no great mystery – Japanese students, especially those like Noriko with reputations for being smart, live and die by their class rankings and test scores, and Hayate just told her she'd have to wait weeks to find out… frustration aplenty. Don't worry if you haven't figured out the primary weakness of Deva magic yet, it'll be revealed shortly.

Sheo Darren: Paradox's replies to Laura are not so much to a 'drill sergeant' as to the ranking sergeant. While the Marine Corp did away with the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, Marines still refer to the ranking sergeant in a unit as 'Gunny', and Laura (like her brother) would rather work for a living than be an officer and called 'sir' (or 'ma'am', for that matter). Laura does have one spell that will require all six cartridges, but they won't trigger all at once (controlling six simultaneous releases would be impossible, except [big _maybe_ for Signum, Vita, Nanoha or Fate). As for Positron Buster being 'low-profile', remember, Laura intended it to use two (2!!) cartridges – the demo shot was sort of like firing a spitball out of a bb-gun, and yes, its final form is based closely on the theory behind Star Trek's proton torpedoes (though it looks more like a quantum torpedo). The final toast is actually based on the loyalty toast I believe the British Royal Navy uses, a formal reminder of why they are all gathered at the school.


	20. 20 Operation Nimrod

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 20 – Operation Nimrod -

Returning the various students to the Academy was accomplished rapidly and easily, the only hiccups being an apparently concerted effort by Allina and Niranjana to keep their parents from talking to Vita, who picked up Allina, or Shamal, who picked up Niranjana. Hayate arranged for everyone to return the Sunday before classes resumed, giving them all time to get reunions out of the way and re-acclimate to the time. Most of the reunions were calm affairs, hugs and handshakes and shared stories of their vacations.

Predictably, Laura's return was the loudest. Not content with following Signum down the path, she came plummeting out of the noon-time sky in Paradox-assisted flight, buzzing the dorm with a raucous, "Ohayo, minnnaaaa-ssaaaaan!" Said plummet ended with her landing a total of one and a half steps short of Noriko and dropped her two bags, which at least provided the other girl enough warning to brace herself before being tackled. "Hey, Riko-chan, happy New Year!"

Spinning from the impact, Noriko had no choice but to return the hug, or risk both of them falling over. "Happy New Year to you, too, Laura-chan," she replied, with less enthusiasm and quite a bit more resignation, "I suppose you had a good holiday?"

"Uh-huh, a great one! My brother was home for a week, and I got to see a bunch of friends." Laura finally let go, bouncing just a little, "only problem was, none of the Enemy showed up for me to pound on, so I've got all these cartridges and I haven't had a chance to use any of 'em!"

"Only you would think a vacation boring because you weren't attacked," Noriko replied, though she understood the sentiment. She had spent half her vacation anticipating something similar.

Laura was already moving on, however, and grabbed Cidela in a similarly exuberant hug, "Hey, Cid-chan, you have a..." Laura paused, still hugging a stunned Cidela. Her hands shifted up to Cidela's shoulders, and she pushed the other girl away, looking down with a frown, "Cid-chan, what's under your... Gah! Snake!" Sure enough, a brown snout peaked out of Cidela's collar, followed shortly by the rest of the head, which fixated, flickering tongue and all, on Laura, who stumbled violently back, loosing her balance and falling backwards on her rump, one finger still pointing accusingly, if shakily, at Cidela. "Cid-chan! Why've you got a snake down your _shirt_?!"

Cidela ducked her head, knowing she was now the center of attention for everyone on the quad at the time, and reached up her hands to half-hide, half-comfort the snake that was still staring at Laura. "His name is Rafiq," she whispered, "and he's not a snake, he's my familiar."

"He looks like a snake," Laura muttered, hauling herself back to her feet, keeping a wary eye on Rafiq.

"He is based on one," Cidela agreed, "but he is a familiar."

"Still doesn't explain why he's down your shirt."

Cidela actually blushed a little at that, then explained, "he's cold. He can't regulate his own temperature yet, and it's easier for both of us to keep him warm this way."

"And you like it," Noriko added, smiling to take any sting out of it. "He's your familiar, as important to you as our devices are to us, ne? Of course you want to keep him close." She held out a hand to Rafiq, letting the forked tongue play over her fingers, and a moment later the serpent slid further out, curling over Cidela's hand to rest his head on Noriko's fingertips. "I think he's handsome, Cid-chan. You do good work."

Cidela's blush deepened, "Shamal-sensei did most of it."

Laura, recovering from her own surprise, imitated Noriko, holding out a hand for Rafiq to inspect, but the familiar was having none of that. He reared back, hissing slightly, and retreated to curl around Cidela's neck. "I don't think he likes you, Laura-chan," Noriko noted, just barely keeping from laughing at the other girl's expression.

"You crushed him," Cidela explained, "and you surprised me. He is very protective of me."

"As he should be," Noriko agreed. Then she grabbed Laura and shoved her towards her bags, "go put your things away, clothes-horse. Cid-chan and I will be in the library, seeing if she can figure out some of those documents on Deva magic that Allina gave you to give to me."

Laura went, glancing back over her shoulder, but was side-tracked pretty much immediately by greeting Natalia and Toushiro, almost as exuberantly as she had Noriko. Watching her careen towards the dorm, Cidela asked, "Does she ever stop?"

Noriko shook her head, "Kami-sama, I hope not. Can you imagine how boring life would be around here if she did?"

They continued on their way, and Noriko breezed through the library doors and headed directly for the stairs, intending to commandeer one of the small study rooms, but Cidela's call interrupted her. "Noriko-chan? Don't you want to see the class rankings? They are only posted here, nowhere else."

Looking back, Noriko found Cidela pointing at a plain piece of paper taped up to the white-board next to the door, and felt a thrill of excitement and fear. Hayate had sent the rankings to their parents, but requested that they not inform the students to allow for a relaxing vacation, prior to what promised to be a hectic and stressful semester. Noriko's parents had obliged, despite her vehement protests, though she knew she had scored well, given her mother's occasional displays of pride. Now, she was nervous to find out just how well she had done.

The plain piece of paper listed them in rank order, showing their cumulative scores in percentages after their names. To Noriko's surprise, they showed scores out to two decimal places, instead of the one she was used to, which she eventually realized was due to the fact that all of them had scored within five percent of one another. She felt a moment's disappointment that her own name was not first, but it was second, so she decided to be content, even if Niranjana outscored her by over a full percent. "Well, I'll just have to make sure everyone knows 'Jana's the smartest person in the world," Noriko muttered after comparing their scores. Then she looked further down, expecting Laura or Yussef to be just behind her, and got a surprise. "Kami-sama, Cid-chan, where've you been hiding that brain?"

"I'm not that smart," Cidela protested, "I just study more than the rest of you. Except Niranjana, of course, but I don't think she ever stops studying." She smiled a little, and gestured at the paper again, "Look at Laura-chan's and Yussef-kun's scores, though."

Noriko turned her attention back, started scanning down, and realized, "there's no fourth place? But..." it actually took her a second to realize that it was not a typo, then she found herself giggling a little, "Damn, I want to see the looks on their faces when they see this. _Tied_, for fifth place." Sure enough, Laura and Yussef had both scored precisely the same, one-hundredth of a percent behind Cidela.

"Hai, they tied," Cidela confirmed, "Hayate-sensei decided that, to avoid the confusion of having fifteen ranks for a class of sixteen, no one took fourth place, and the two of them would instead share fifth. She said it would encourage them to work harder and spend less time playing in class."

"She also told you to tell everyone that, didn't she?"  
Cidela turned her nose up slightly and resumed walking into the library, "I'm not going to answer that, Noriko-chan. Hayate-sensei is not nearly mean enough to think of that. Vita-sensei did."

------------------------------

"In closing, My Lords, we can confirm that all sixteen students returned at the start of the second week of January, and have been in place at the target site for the past month. The defenses have been strengthened slightly in type, especially the active wards of the new magical style, but they have not altered in fundamental nature. Due to this, our projections indicate that the current plan can proceed with highest probability of success."

There was a moment of silence, then one of the elderly figures spoke, "Thank you, Journeywoman Sandoval, that was quite concise and clear. Before we render our decision, however, there are some questions which must be answered. Lord Briton?"

"Thank you, Lord Europe," replied the youngest people on the screens, a woman of no more than seventy, from a screen low on the right. "My review of the monitors' reports shows that there have been a number of energy spikes in December, the most recent quite powerful. Have you accounted for these in your assessments?"

"Yes, Lord Briton," Sandoval replied confidently, having expected that question much earlier. "Analysis of the spikes themselves show that the energies involved were well beyond what an un-augmented human can channel, so they must have been caused by one of the four known users of artificial enhancements. However, the resonance of the spikes is different from those we have previously studied, so we believe they represent an initial attempt to generate a counter to our probes. While we have had full information on the school's wards since October, we have continued the pattern of probes to avoid causing any suspicion."

"You do not feel they are the result of students learning these forbidden methods?"

"No, ma'am. None of the students have the requisite experience and strength to undertake such activities, per the school's own published procedures and the Doctor's analysis. Also, the last spike came while the students were on vacation, thus ruling out their involvement."

"Ah, but one of them was not away at the time, was she? This..." the man now speaking trailed off to flip through several pages of notes, "... Cidela Al Musab. She was present for the last spike."

"Which you will please note, Lord Inca, bore clear traces of one of the corrupt mages," Sandoval added. "Based on information obtained from her family, her prior schools, and observation of the students, admittedly at long range, and in Kyoto, she lacks the willpower and the force of personality necessary for greater magical effects."

"But you have not, from the sound of it, managed a direct evaluation of the girl, now have you?"

"All due respect, Lord Inca," the Master Adept did not feel or sound particularly respectful, but the forms had to be observed, even if he was breaking the tradition that dictated only his assistant speak at this final briefing, "but that is not possible and will not be until we have secured the facility. I understand the fear you will not say aloud, that the children have been corrupted, and there is no way to prove beyond a doubt that they have not been. However, we have contingency plans in place in case one or more of the students have been lost."

"But you still lack direct human intelligence of the school," the only other woman among the screens commented, "and my country has learned to its sorrow that nothing compares to human intelligence."

"No, we do not, Lord America," Sandoval resumed her explanation, giving her master a look that might have been chastising. "However, we have historically had poor ability to gather such intelligence in Japan. By the time our ancestors realized Japan was settled and civilized, it was already an insular imperial society, and even World War Two was insufficient to allow us to establish ourselves, beyond our current minimal monitoring level. By the time we learned of the school's formation, it was too late to attempt to have one of our own children substituted for one of their chosen victims, and the only human staff is... unwilling to discuss their employers. We have not approached them more than obliquely for fear of leaving a trail the school could follow back to us."

"Is that also why you have not retrieved Master Jin? I understand he has been in mundane custody for months now."

"Correct, Lord Africa. I believe him to be monitored by the Yagami woman's agents. If we contact him or attempt to move him, they will move in and capture the retrieval team, or trace him back to one of our facilities. He will be freed once the school has been secured."

The assembled Lords, the Grand Circle in its entirety, had a few more questions, but the entire briefing was a formality, and they all knew it. Soon enough, the meeting wound down. Lord Europe spoke again, "All right, Master Adept Li, you have the Grand Circle's permission to carry through on your mission. Inform us once the operation is complete." Most of the screens went blank, but Lord Europe remained. Once the others were gone, his stern countenance softened, and he asked, "Quan, old friend. How soon can you go forward with this? The delays are already more than our more prescient mages allowed for, if still within acceptable limits. If you are planning to wait much longer..."

Master Adept Li smiled, and for answer, pulled out a cell phone and used the first speed-dial. The recipient answered on the first ring, and Li asked, "Lorenzi, Operation Nimrod is authorized. Initiate stage one at optimal time." He hung up again without waiting for an answer. "Lorenzi will trigger the distraction element at oh five hundred hours local time, fourteen hundred or so Kyoto time, shortly before their classes let out. Given Yagami's demonstrated response time, and the nature of the provocation, we figure to go in about an hour later, so that the children should be separated into easily managed groups, and the staff as well. All other elements are in place, and I have a plane waiting to take me to assume command of the primary operation as soon as we are finished here. Everything is in motion, Master. By sundown tomorrow, this will all be over."

------------------------------

Hayate had just dismissed her class when the alarm sounded, a purely mental tone that was, nonetheless, still shrill enough to set her teeth on edge. The alarm was silenced a moment later, and she reached out mentally to ask, _Vita? What happened?_

After Takashi's report on interrogating the captured Circle mage, Hayate had instituted a rotating watch of all the school's alerts, instead of leaving routine monitoring entirely up to Yggdrasil. Vita had the afternoon watch, and replied almost instantly, _Some bloody twit just took out Geosynch Four. It registered a high-energy event in south-western Egypt, then its shields spiked and it fell out of the network. I'm getting visual now from Five and Six, Four's totally fragged, only recognizable piece I can see is one of the stabilizing thrusters, and that's falling into the atmosphere already._

Hayate's first instinct was to go to the site, _right now_, and to Hell with caution or rules. But reason over-ruled that immediately. "It has to be the Circles," she mused aloud, "but why would they do something this blatant and this stupid? If they can see one of the satellites, they can see all of them, so they know I've got spares up there. They should have waited to take down more of them..."

"Then it is probably a trap," Signum commented from the door, "remember what Takashi said?"

"They will attempt to separate me from all of you," Hayate replied, then shook her head slowly, "and while this feels like their attempt to do just that, I still think I need to go. They generated enough energy to strike a satellite in orbit, to break its defenses, Signum. On the other hand, I am neither so foolish as to leave the school defenseless, nor so over-confident as to go alone. You and I, I think, with the others here on alert."

Signum did not look pleased, but patently realized it was the best compromise the two of them would reach. "All right. Shall we go now, or give them time to prepare?"  
"They are already prepared," Hayate said, "but probably not for the approach we will take. We'll teleport in to, say Mount Kilimanjaro, fly in at altitude the rest of the way, then scout from on high with over-watch before landing." _Vita, have you been listening in?_

_Yeah, Hayate, and I don't like it,_ Vita answered immediately, _I should be going as well. These idiots are going to attack you, you know that._

_I __believe__ that,_ Hayate corrected with a smile, _but Shamal will need all the help she can get if someone attacks the school while we're gone, and any attack sufficient to overwhelm Signum and I before we could teleport out would not notice any additional mages, no matter how powerful. Could you be a dear and move one of the satellites mostly overhead of the site? I'd like continuous updates on the locus while we approach and once we are on location._

_Already in progress,_ Vita confirmed, _I've also sent a burst off to Chrono-kun, he should route Fate and Nanoha-chan here once he gets it. I don't think they're on any emergency calls right now._

_Thank you, Vita. Signum and I will get underway now, we should be able to reach the site in an hour or so._ Hayate stood up from her desk, summoning Sword and Staff with a thought. "We'll teleport from the roof," she told Signum.

Signum just nodded, "I've told Shamal and the others where we're going, they'll stay on alert until we're back."

------------------------------

Lorenzi waited patiently, six kilometers from the event site, hidden beneath a sand-covered tarp. His jeep was similarly hidden, but that was a good kilometer distant, closer to the fake oil derrick. His view of the world was extremely limited, a narrow fold of the canvas tarp lifted by a wire frame to let his binoculars look out without exposing them to direct sunlight. The heat was near unbearable, even this early in the morning, but months of exposure and a full camel-pack kept it bearable.

He dearly, _dearly _wished to be in Kyoto, and not just for the weather. Master-Adept Li would, on his signal, launch the largest operation the Circles had performed since Atlantis was finally destroyed by its own heresy, and while it would be dangerous, it would also be the defining event of his generation. Lorenzi had known that from the day he was brought in on his teacher's plan, and had helped plan the assault itself. But this stage was of critical importance, and knowing that Li trusted _him_ to see to its execution was an indescribable honor, even if all he had to do was make one phone-call.

Despite its simplicity, Lorenzi's job was quite dangerous. The Doctor had not been able to predict with any accuracy how large an area of effect the trap would have, once sprung, though he had been confident it would be on the small side, 'geographically speaking'. Six kilometers, Lorenzi felt, was far enough for safety, but not so far as to make observation impossible. He had watched the five volunteers trigger the bait, witnessed the spiral beam of light blast into the heavens at a precisely calculated angle, and seen the volunteers keel over. One had managed to crawl a few meters, almost reaching the jeep they had been provided, but was now still. Part of Lorenzi wanted to get down there and get those heroic men and women to a hospital, but operational security did not allow it. There was no way to know when the Yagami woman would arrive, which was why Lorenzi himself was here.

Now, two hours after the bait had been released, he was still waiting, and was starting to become nervous. This was far too long for their usual response time, against a far worse provocation than they had been given before. But he had to wait and watch, to make sure the trap succeeded, and give word to the Master-Adept to start the attack.

His patience was rewarded, finally, when a pair of figures dropped out of a painfully clear sky, circling like vultures as they slowly descended while scanning the area, maintaining close defensive positions to each other. He shifted, trying to dig himself a little deeper into the sand, and subtly checked his camouflage spells, making sure they held and diverted any sign of his presence away from the event site. Even as he did that, he studied both figures, noting their distinguishing characteristics and feeling only a little disappointment that only two had shown up. Three or four caught here would have vastly simplified the attack on the school, though even if only the Yagami woman was trapped, the attack would succeed. The two gave no sign of being aware of his presence, and he pulled out his phone, finally, thumb hovering over the speed-dial buttons, almost twitching. He had not been this excited since he passed his apprentice exams.

As they touched down, his other hand tightened on a button taped to his binoculars. No sound or light betrayed it, but he knew his equipment, and the radio transmitter was a simple, time-proven design. He had every confidence that the Doctor's greatest engineering feat would function as designed.

------------------------------

Hayate settled to the ground lightly, but did not dismiss Flight of the Valkyrie. This was a trap, she could feel it in her bones with iron certainty, and she wanted to keep her options open. The five bodies strewn about were still alive, if only just, quite obviously the ones who had triggered the device, and been caught in the periphery of its blast. One was missing both arms, three of the others were still apparently stuck to it, and the fifth had crawled most of the way to their vehicle despite terrible burns.

The construct itself was small, but impressively built for a people with no such tradition. "Looks like someone's not as pure as they like to claim," she muttered, not approaching the construct, but studying it.

"No one is," Signum agreed, "no one ever is."

A tingle captured Hayate's attention, a shiver in her magic that was oddly familiar. She looked up and around, trying to localize it, extending her magical senses. "Signum, I'm detecting..."

It formed in a horrible, wrenching instant. A pinprick of black appeared, half a kilometer away, and she could feel the terrible twisting of reality as it began growing, expanding in a flash. She recognized it, no Bureau-trained mage could fail to do that, and in the bare moment that she had as it swelled, she felt herself nearly panic. Panic became complete as her magic, her precious, dependable, glorious magic... failed. Her shields collapsed, her probes shredded, her wings exploded from her back... everything, even unto her linker core itself, reacted to the forming dimensional dislocation with an agonizing tearing sensation of total instability.

"Signum!" She could hear the pain in her own voice, but there was only one thought in her mind. If these monsters could unleash this here, what about... "The school! _My children!_"

------------------------------

Lorenzi saw the blackness spread, feeling a thrill of moral anguish at the damage he had just inflicted on his own world. He tried to tell himself that the Yagami woman would have done worse, but it was scant comfort. The null area spread rapidly, but unevenly, and swept over the region the two women had occupied within a second, before stabilizing, almost two kilometers across, a nothingness the eyes slid past and the mind shuddered away from. He scanned carefully, but other than the flash of white and purple as the engines triggered, there had been no trace of magic, and there was none now.

He hit the speed dial, and when the other end picked up said simply, "Stage one complete, two confirmed kills."

------------------------------

Classes were out, and most everyone was in the Library, habits from the previous semester returning with ease. Hayate's disappearance was remarked on, but mostly in passing, as it was not that unusual. Most of the comments were from Laura, who was somewhat miffed at loosing a practice session with Signum.

She, Noriko and Yussef had been told collectively the day classes resumed of their new extra-curricular training, and the dangers inherent in their devices. Without the peculiarities of a Deva device and the Deva mage's altered linker core, they were far more vulnerable to manipulations of their devices than Hayate was, and that had been demonstrated on each of them, just enough to make them aware. That had not been a pleasant experience, though Laura felt the day Signum stole her nearly-finished device had been worse. The extra training did not bother her, or the other two, as it essentially replaced the time the three of them had spent constructing the devices the previous semester.

After classes let out that afternoon, instead of their usual training, the three of them wound up sitting in the Library with most of their classmates, doing research, of all things, with Shamal. Specifically, they were helping her collate and review the masses of data sent by Yuuno on their predicament. Laura would have been bored, except most of what she was reading was down-right terrifying. Sure, the closer connection with Paradox would make them more dangerous, but no one had ever had a bond like this with a Velka device, which meant there was quite a bit of uncertainty as to how differently it would affect her, compared to Yussef and Noriko. It was also interesting, reading about what bonds such as theirs had enabled mages to accomplish beyond the norm. All in all, it made for an exciting combination.

She at first dismissed the feeling as the sort of vague queasiness she usually got when contemplating the possibility of serious injury to herself. But that rapidly went out the window as the queasiness spiked sharply. "Oh, crap," she muttered, clutching her stomach, "I'm gonna be sick."

"What," Yussef asked, barely glancing up, "too graphic a description?"

"Something's wrong," Laura muttered, training kicking in, making her analyze, instead of just react. She could not suppress the nausea, it was actually getting worse, "real wrong. It's magic, _bad_ magic." She had no idea how she knew that, but she did not question it. Whatever was happening was... just wrong.

Shamal got up and moved to put a comforting hand on her back, but Laura could not focus on what she was saying. She could feel whatever was wrong, knew it was external to herself, and had to fight to get any sort of shield up to block it out.

Just as Laura did get enough stability to pay attention to anyone else, Shamal stood and looked around with a faintly confused air. Then her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath, "Klarer Wind!" Green light enveloped her, and her armor appeared, which was all the warning the students needed. Everyone else in the common room fixed their eyes on Shamal. About to hurl or not, Laura heard Yussef and Noriko calling up their devices quite clearly, and mentally activated Paradox as well, just in time for Shamal to practically leap to the front desk and one of the library's dedicated land-line phones, "Vita! Trigger the shields, the wards, trigger _everything_, someone's suppressing me!"

Laura's careful shields quivered and almost failed at that, and she had to struggle past the nausea again, but Paradox's wakening strengthened her shields enough to block whatever was making her so ill, and she got to her feet just in time to see figures drifting down to land in the quad, hitting hard but rolling to their feet, dark fabric pooling behind them. "Incoming," she rasped.

To her surprise, it was Yussef, not Shamal, who ordered, "Everyone fall back! Get to the stairs and form a line! Ichigo, Marcel, barricade the door. Everyone else, watch your six and keep your shields up! Noriko, get everyone moving to the basement, it's the most secure spot."

The orders were fast and sure, but it takes time for the mind to shift from calm to combat, and those precious seconds flew by. The first attackers reached the library doors just as Marcel and Ichigo began their barriers, and blew through door and barrier with ease. They were all anonymous behind blue fatigues, combat harnesses over bullet-proof vests, with ski-masks and goggles under Kevlar helmets. The first four through the door brought up shotguns, shouting "Nobody move!"

"Hah," Laura laughed back, straightening up. As one gun turned towards her, she grinned and held up one clenched fist straight out, "Schroedinger!"

------------------------------

Yussef had almost no idea what was happening. One moment Laura was about to throw up, the next Shamal was near panicking and armed paratroopers were landing on his campus. His initial orders, more reaction than thought, were an instinctive attempt to get the others out of the way so the teachers, Noriko, Laura and himself could engage the threat he could see.

Then Laura stood up, and muttered something in a barely intelligible snarl, instead of moving to clear his line of fire. He lunged sideways, bringing up Zulfiqar, and stumbled as all six of Laura's cartridges fired with a machine-gun rattle. A moment later, white light sprang up around her, and in her place there was a solid block of white.

Part of him could only wonder in awed terror at what sort of spell she had come up with that required six cartridges, but mostly he was busy with his own work. "Bulwark!"

"Yes Lord," Zulfiqar replied, and a shimmer of energy spread from the blade just as the nearest attacker fired. The shotgun's discharge was surprisingly loud, given what Yussef had become used to here, and part of him anticipated the impact of a slug since the barrel, looking as large as a sewer pipe, was aimed directly at _him_. But he felt nothing, as the bean bag slammed into a wall of nothing just before passing Laura's position.

"Noriko," Yussef shouted, "get everyone moving!"

"Zipper!" Laura's shout came from the second level, and he saw her there for a moment before she flickered away again.

"Fire!" That came from a different position, behind him somewhere, but still recognizably Laura.

Then she appeared, right behind the attacker that just shot at him, even as the man was racking in a new round. Her hand was up, and the shot landed just at the base of his neck, where neither helmet nor vest protected. The man slammed hard into Yussef's Bulwark, after which he slid to the ground. A moment later, seven lesser shots slammed the other three back out the doors as Yussef's classmates countered, then a wavering wall of energy appeared over the opening.

A blink later, Laura was next to him, "Yussef, I can see..." she broke off, only to reappear a moment later on his other side, "... they're hitting all four buildings..." that was followed by a longer break, long enough for Shamal to discard the phone and start for him, "... more comin' down the path."

"Keep them busy outside," he told Laura, addressing the white box since she was nowhere to be found, and hoping she heard.

Shamal reached him then, as he just barely heard another multi-sourced attack from Laura outside. "Yussef, get the others downstairs. There's a door at the north end of the main corridor, it's mage-locked like the workrooms."

He spared her a glance while they helped Natalia, still apparently too stunned by events to get herself moving, stand and start for the back. "A bunker?"

"Better," Shamal replied, giving Natalia a little shove, "a way out. Keep them together, and keep them safe."

Something in her tone sounded warning bells, "What about you, sensei?"

"They're suppressing our magic somehow," she reported with a grimace. "We can still accomplish some, but it's all unstable, and nowhere near the power we should be able to use. All of us are affected, except Aria and Lotte, and good as they are, they're tied up trying to hold the dorm. Mariachi and Megan are with them, but they can't break out."

"Laura, Noriko and I..."

She cut him off, "will get your classmates to safety. The door opens onto a corridor. The far end is a small concrete chamber with a hatch in the top. That opens into a small cave up on the mountain, overlooking the train tracks just over the pass. Get everyone into the cave, then open the electrical panel in the end-chamber. It's mage-locked, just like the doors. Once everyone is out... that is critical, Yussef, make sure everyone is out of the tunnel first... press the green button. The tunnel will collapse ten seconds later. Once that's done, get to the tracks, there should be an emergency phone. Call for help, Noriko's father. You understand?"

He did not like it, not at all. Abandon his teachers, run from a battle, and shepherd people he knew were well able to take care of themselves... no, he did not like it in any way, shape or form. But he understood orders when he heard them. "Hai, sensei. I'll get them out."

She nodded sharply, and strode for the now-barricaded front door. She tapped Ichigo and Marcel on the shoulders, and gestured for them to leave, her own spells, visibly unstable, taking up the task of guarding the door.

Yussef spared her enough attention to note the other two boys falling back, before yelling at the white box where Laura had been, "Ditz! We're leaving! You're rear guard, but don't take too long!" He had no idea if she would have heard his normal voice, but he was too keyed up to speak normally anyhow.

A moment later, the white dissolved, and Laura staggered out of it, almost falling until he caught her. "Sorry," she gasped, quivering in his grip, "that's... bloody difficult. I was just dead... sorta."

"Get it together," Yussef muttered, "we're leaving."

"No duh, Yu-chan," she muttered back, and finally managed to get her feet under her again. "God, that felt sooo weird. It worked, mostly, but damn was it hard to control."

Yussef was sorely tempted to ask what, precisely, she had done, since the observable effects had been so extreme. But there were more important things to think about. They had reached the others, clustered at the top of the stairs. "Everyone, head down, then right, up the main corridor, through the emergency door. Noriko, lead the way. Luke, Toushiro, back her up. Ichigo, Marcel, watch the middle. Laura and I'll take the rear. Let's move, people."

Natalia tried to stop, asking, "What about Shamal?"

Laura grabbed her shoulder, pushing her towards the stairs. "She's staying to buy us time to leave. Don't waste it."

There was a lot of confusion, others trying to head back, shouting questions and suggestions, and it took longer than it should have to get everyone moving. Only a minute or so, but still far too long, and Shamal was struggling to hold the door and extend her shields against whatever force was suppressing her magic by the time Yussef finally lost sight or her.

The basement was where 'boring' things were kept... the school's servers, digital backups of all the books above, cleaning supplies and the like. While they were not prohibited from being down here normally, there was nothing to attract anyone, since even Allina could get all the server access she needed from her PDA. So Yussef was less than familiar with the area, and was partly glad to be bringing up the rear, as it meant Noriko had to find the door.

Above and behind him, he heard glass breaking, and muffled explosions, and knew the attackers were coming in the building. As he pushed the others to move faster, he mentally cursed himself for being stupid – his Bulwark spell could easily have been expanded to seal the building, instead of just blocking the common room, and while he doubted he could have held it indefinitely, he could have held it long enough for everyone to get out, Shamal included. It was too late to go back now, though. The others were all through into the corridor rapidly, Marcel holding the door for him. Yussef took the door, pulling it closed and triggering the locks while asking, "head count?"

"Very nearly half the class missing," Marcel replied worriedly, "Mariachi, Cid-chan, Allina, 'Jana, Megan, Allison and Noah. Mariachi was going back to the dorms to restring his guitar, Noah and Allison were working on her shields again, I don't know about the rest. I think they were all in the class building, but..."

"Doesn't matter," Yussef said, noting that the corridor was remarkably more high-tech looking than the rest of the school. The entire thing was made of metal, with a non-skid coating on the floor, and strip lights running along the corners of the ceiling. "We have to get out ourselves, then worry about everyone else." Marcel nodded, but Yussef heard Laura mutter something unintelligible. "I didn't say we wouldn't do anything, Laura, just that we can't worry about them now. Keep moving, everyone. We'll see what's waiting at the other end."

Even as he chivvied along the others, Yussef was turning over ideas in his mind, thinking, planning. _This isn't over,_ he swore, _one good ambush deserves another._

------------------------------

Author's Note: The title of this chapter comes from a real-life hostage-rescue - 'Operation Nimrod' was the code name for the British SAS hostage-rescue mission at Prince's Gate in May, 1980.

------------------------------

CrimsonDX: Yeah, snakes and healers always seem to go together. Bloody Greek mythology:)! The kids aren't really 'one' with their devices, that's a facet of Deva magic, but yeah, the bond they've got is rather scary. If you liked Yussef's comments to his brother, keep reading.

Kell Shock: I'm afraid Cidela's familiar was a late addition to solve a problem that's been bothering me since about chapter four or five, which will be clarified in coming chapters. I'd tell you how much the Circles are aware of, but that might ruin the surprise:). I wanted to show Noriko's family, but just couldn't come up with a good scene. The confrontation between Yussef and his brother, and Laura and her mother, were no-brainers, but nothing occurred to me for Noriko, unfortunately. And while the fecal matter has officially hit the rotary air impeller, this here's just the opening round.

shinseieikyu: Thank you for your compliments and time. I'm afraid the classroom moments are going to be on hold for a while, though (shameless plug!) there'll be some more of that over in 'Side Stories'. As to the language, story-wise the Japanese crops up because the students officially use Japanese in all their classes, though they are taking classes in each language they all speak (English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Hindu, Arabic and French). Laura, specifically, is good with languages (though not great) and makes a deliberate effort to mix and match languages for confusion factor. Author-wise, I throw in Japanese words to keep the 'anime' feel, and to remind both readers and myself that this is set in Japan, despite being written in English.

TheWhiteMonk: Here's next, though only part of it! I seriously wanted to cliff-hanger at Lorenzi setting off the trap, but it would've been too short. Stay tuned, it gets better!

Sheo Darren: Laura's reaction (and Yussef's, for that matter) were a result of how closely tied they are to their devices. Imagine seeing someone pick up your arm and walk off with it... that's supposed to be about what it was like for them. Admittedly Laura overreacted, but when doesn't she? Yeah, I've got the Mallorean (and the Belgariad, the Elenium, and Tamuli... the man wrote the same bloody story four times!), all of which I've read a couple times. Laura's intro to Rafiq, and where the snake prefers to hide, was based in part on the character you referenced. As for everything linking up, that's mostly a matter of attention – I keep re-reading prior chapters, reviewing notes, expanding notes, and just generally making sure that if I say something in one chapter, I haven't previously said something that contradicts it.


	21. 21 Soldiers

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 21 – Soldiers -

Fair warning – foul language ahead.

------------------------------

Captain Qin Liu was a confident young man, well trained in two demanding arts, experienced, the best in the world at what he did. He had passed that confidence along to his men, training them hard and driving them to perfection. His company was, he was morally certain, one of the best in the entire People's Liberation Army of China, and one of the best in the world, even if they had never been given a chance to prove it until now.

When Master-Adept General Li had approached him about this operation, Qin had, at first, been uncertain. His loyalty to the Circles was strong, naturally, but so was his loyalty to his nation, and the thought of risking his soldiers, mundanes all, against such a terrible foe was contrary to both. Still, the General's orders had been clear, and Qin had begun training his men specifically for this jump. The operation had a staggering amount of resources dedicated to it, and when Qin and his company arrived at their new training area, he had been shocked to find a near-perfect mock-up of the target.

It was while training for this assault that Qin's fears were laid to rest. As his men practiced assaulting each of the three buildings, he noticed a near continuous stream of mages touring the site, journeymen like himself, though only a handful could match his zero rank. Some were familiar to him, mages he had met during his own training. Others were not. Each, however, was quite obviously the leader of a circle, the questions they asked revealing more than the markings of rank. Qin himself was questioned by most of them, about the company's strike plan he was evolving with the General. Working with his fellow mages was something he missed from his own apprentice days, and he found himself contemplating a career change, in his few idle moments.

In the end, the decision on the assault had come down to a choice between his company, and another, training at the same facility, also lead by a Circle journeyman. The two had enjoyed a spirited rivalry, along with the third company training for the mission, and they had encouraged the same between their companies to extract every bit of effort from their men. It had been a friendly rivalry – these were units from the same division, after all – but spirited nonetheless. It had driven Qin's company further than he had expected given the time-frame of training, though he became worried about loosing their edge when the operation had been delayed. When General Li chose Qin's company to be lead force, with Mau's company as reinforcement, Qin had been overjoyed. The honor done himself and his troops was beyond expression.

Even the knowledge that this mission was so black that he and his men were technically AWOL could not dampen his excitement. With a successful mission like this under his belt, no matter how unofficial and unmentioned, he would be in an enviable position for promotion, in both the PLA and the Circles. He would probably be allowed to test for Master as early as next year, if he performed well. His earlier concerns about the nature of the target, the difficulty in facing such deeply entrenched heretics, faded as the mission date came closer and his mind was absorbed with the minutiae of preparing his troops.

When the day arrived, they had been loaded aboard their two drop planes, heavy cargo transports acquired from the Russians, then very quietly left in their original Soviet colors. Thereafter had followed hours of mind-numbingly boring flight across the width of China, then more hours loitering over international waters. Qin had no idea how the General managed to keep the insolent Japanese or their American lackeys from interfering, but it was not his concern. After an interminable time, the pilot had come back over the command channel, "initiating run-in. Drop zone in twenty. Cloud cover at DZ requires low drop, can your boys handle that?"

"We'll manage," Qin replied confidently. 'Low' was a relative term, given the terrain, and he had every confidence in his men. Which thought reminded him to pass the word to his lieutenants, and they to their sergeants.

This mission was going to be executed a little differently than normal. Most unusual, all his men had been issued tasers and shotguns loaded with bean-bags instead of their normal submachine-guns. The goal of this mission was rescue and prisoners, not simply securing the drop zone, so that made sense, but it also made many of the men uncomfortable. Only slightly less disconcerting was the need for dispersion. Half the company had been tasked with neutralizing the mages controlling the school, the other half with securing the children being held hostage. The children were the primary reason for the non-lethal weapons, as no one wanted to kill children, even if they were all from barbarian peoples. Even then, rather than throwing full squads about, Qin had chosen to break the company down almost all the way, into six-man half-squads, to allow for better unit flexibility in the close confines of the buildings.

Most of those teams, Qin had left in the hands of his sergeants, tasking his two most experienced lieutenants to each of the main buildings, and the third lieutenant with his team to securing the housekeeper's home and the access road. The Company Sergeant would take yet another team up to the witches' house, but no one was expected to be there. Qin himself would lead the forces against the dormitory, since that was where he felt they were most likely to encounter the children. Anyone encountered in the other two buildings would be too aware and too active, but anyone in the dorms should be in a compromised position, enough that a delicate touch could bring them into hand without the necessity of violence.

The drop itself had been difficult, but executed as perfectly as he could have hoped for. The drop zone was so small that the plane had to make three passes, dropping one platoon each time, to get them all within the pocket valley, making this one of the more insane paratrooper insertions Qin was aware of, and he was desperately afraid on his way down that an errant gust of wind would send some his men crashing into the unforgiving mountainsides. But the gods smiled on them, and most of his men hit precisely where they were meant to, in the relatively cleared area around the target buildings, and on the buildings themselves.

Qin himself was in the last group, trailing his lead elements by no more than three minutes, giving him a chance to observe the drop and, if necessary, re-task his own forces to support a unit that ran into immediate trouble. He had no worries of the heretics using their magic, as the General had sworn they would be suppressed by multiple circles, and reduced in number by a prior operation. Landing was hard, as usual, but he collapsed into it, feeling the risers go slack. He tumbled with the momentum, hands scrabbling at the quick-release latches holding him to the parachute, then scrabbling again for his shotgun.

A quick check showed his men forming up around him, a few stragglers caught in the trees, though it looked like none had taken injuries to more than their pride. The muffled discharge of a shotgun made him wince – it was far too early for that, meaning someone had screwed up – but he ignored it. He had to trust in his lieutenants to execute their orders, while he executed his, so a few silent hand signals and his men were moving.

His first hint that things were seriously wrong was the girl. She appeared out of nowhere, off to his left as he lead his men around the side of the dorm towards the back while a sergeant took the other half of his force in the front. She was wrapped in black armor, but surrounded by a white halo that was lifting her long bright red hair weirdly, and her face was twisted with pure fury. He had a moment to start bringing his shotgun around, as her empty hand came up to point at him. Then she was gone, no sound, no trace, not even a shiver of magic.

He stood there for another second, trying to figure out what had happened, when shouting in Japanese and Chinese, unintelligible for the distance but recognizable, sounded back towards the Library, joined by small explosions. A susurration of almost-speech from his men snagged his wandering attention. "Keep it down," he ordered, "our comrades will handle the front, we have our mission. Let's keep moving."

They managed to reach the rear of the dorm without difficulty, and Qin split his force for the last time, sending one six-man team to the far wing, while he lead the other team into the nearer wing. There were differences from the training mock-up, of course. Finished work, for one thing, instead of the bare press-board and naked bulbs they had trained against. But the positions, angles, ranges, lighting, all were very close to perfect matches for their training. They began a room-to-room search, trying to be certain of their back trail without sacrificing speed, since the mission called for them to relieve the attack at the front of the building as expeditiously as possible.

Their quiet progression was interrupted a third of the way down when a girl threw open the door from this wing to the common area, and stopped cold on spotting them. Qin brought his shotgun up, but the dark-haired western girl vanished back through the door she had entered by before he could shoot. Qin tapped the first two men behind him, "you two, with me. The rest of you, keep up the searches. We'll rally in the common room."

He covered the distance at a run, focused on the door while his men covered the other angles. He reached it and pulled up, leaning forward to press his helmet against the hollow-core wood. He could, just barely, hear another door slam, followed by the remarkably similar sounds of shotgun blasts. A quiver of magic told him the girl was still active, and he heard, just barely, "Henshin Liger."

"Right," he muttered, pulling back and letting the shotgun fall on its auto-retract sling. "She's still active, and she'll have some sort of illusion up." None of his men were mages, but they trusted their Captain and he had tried to prepare them as best he could without violating the Circles' laws. He pulled the taser pistol from his belt, the smaller weapon being less likely to accidentally kill the girl, and continued, "Don't be fooled, just look for the girl. Tasers only." The two men swapped out their own guns, then one reached for the doorknob. Qin nodded, taser at port as he stood in the center of the hall, while the third man moved to cover the opening of the door.

Before they could open the door, however, something massive hit it from the far side. The door tore free of its frame and slammed down, pinning the man who had been about to open it. He managed a surprised yell before disappearing under it, but nothing more. For a horrifying moment, Qin could only stand there and stare, knowing instantly that what was before him was no illusion, however terrifying.

She was huge, easily a meter high at the shoulder, three times that long, narrow tail lashing angrily. Her hand-sized ears were laid back flat on her skull, and her slit-pupiled green eyes were narrowed to slits over snarling jaws, finger-long fangs a shocking white against her pink jaws and yellow-white fur. Paws the size of dinner-plates held the door down, and muscles the size of Qin's torso bunched as she crouched, growling at him with a deep basso rumbling.

"Fire!" he managed to croak out, "Fire now, damn it!" Suiting actions to words, he brought his taser down and triggered it, watching the darts fly out trailing their wires, watching them hit. A moment later his trooper's taser hit as well. The combined jolts in rapid succession caused the massive creature to yowl in pain and flinch away, but the weapons were designed to disable _humans_, to render a handful of kilos unable to move. Used on a half-ton of enraged feline, they served only to annoy her.

It was at that point that Qin realized, in his own mind, that the mission was a failure. His men were the best in the world, he was certain of that. They could take any equal-sized force of soldiers and annihilate them. With Circle support, they could take any group of heretic mages and rescue their barely-trained students. But his men were not trained to fight animals, not trained to take on the most terrifying predators their ancestors had ever seen. Even as his hands, driven by ingrained training and habit, grasped and raised his shotgun, his conscious mind was already mourning the horrific failure that had befallen his command.

------------------------------

Megan came upright from her crouch, yowl of pain turning into a growl of anger as the tasers' effect wore off. She lunged forward and sideways, slamming one blue-clad figure into – and mostly through – the wall, and hoped Cidela would forgive her for damaging the healer-girl's room. She heard him grunt in pain, but ignored it in favor of pouncing on the man in the center of the hall. The shotgun went off in her ear, fortunately aimed somewhere past her, but still deafening. She hit the man hard, both front paws slamming him back and down, and then she was running down the hall.

She had no idea of either of the two she had hit were still alive, or would live at all, and mostly she did not care. All she cared about was reaching the woods beyond the dorm, and there were now four more enemies between her and her freedom. They scattered, shouting in a language she did not know, but their fear of her was obvious. _Glad I talked Lotte-sensei into letting me take this over the housecat,_ she thought absently as she barreled through the door.

Megan had been in the dining hall, getting herself a snack to tide her over until dinner, when trouble began. Aria had come running from her suite, and started trying to hustle her out the back. One good look over her shoulder had shown her why, and she had not so much resisted as fallen over in shock. Which had, unfortunately, delayed Aria enough that the cat-woman had to turn and start trying to shield the chamber, instead of fleeing. One shouted order had sent Megan stumbling for the way out, but between shock, panic and fear, she had experienced the most pronounced difficulties even getting a door open. When she finally had managed it, and turned away from where she knew the enemy was in order to make her escape, she had found more of them coming in from behind. A forlorn-hope check of the front wing almost got her shot.

Panic had almost claimed her then, since she realized she was trapped. But Aria's shouted challenges and the rising number of gunshots out front decided her, and she adopted the biggest, nastiest form she knew, the largest cat known to exist, and chose the shortest route to safety.

She was in the woods in a flash, a few stray shotgun blasts following her. Once in amongst the trees, however, she shifted down, going directly to wolf and resuming her run on a new course. A telepathic sending, apparently general to all the students, had told her where to find the others Yussef was leading out of the Library, and she needed to join them, needed to find some friendly faces.

Which meant going right by the class building, where she was certain there would be more of these attackers. The sound of shattering glass drew her attention to a plummeting form, and she reacted without thinking.

------------------------------

Sitting in a third-floor classroom, leaning over a pair of desks shoved together, Niranjana was totally focused on the programming she and Allina were working on. Their simulated network from the previous semester, combined with the new programming languages Aria had shown them, had given Allina an idea to create a virtual world that was smoother and more real than anything either of them had heard of. The level of programming needed had been more than enough to interest Niranjana, and she was currently intensely focused on that programming.

So it took a while for Allina's voice to actually pull her attention away from her PDA. Looking up, she was mildly shocked to see Allina staring past her out the windows, pale as a sheet. "What did you say?"

"We have to go," Allina repeated slowly. Then she shivered all over and bent over her own PDA. Four commands later, she was shoving herself out of her seat, one hand grabbing Niranjana's wrist painfully tight, "Let's go! Let's go!"

Niranjana's PDA chose that moment to blink off for no reason, and she was too confused by that and Allina's sudden attitude to even begin making sense of what was happening, or to feel more than a mild trace of fear at Allina's strange behavior. But long habit had her following her friend at a run into the hall, asking, "What's going on? What did you just do?"

"Someone's attacking the school," Allina answered, "we gotta get to one of the workrooms, lock it behind us. That'll protect us until the teachers can educate these bastards."

_Attacking the school? _ The thought, echoing through her mind, was too outlandish, too unbelievable, for Niranjana to process it. _Who would attack a __school__Why_ There was no reason she could discern, no rational justification for such an act, and no one would be stupid enough to try it at _this _school, of all places.

An irregular series of thumps sounded above them, oddly muffled but clear in a hallway who's only other sound was their pounding footsteps. "Crap," Allina muttered, "They're landing on the roof. We'll take the back stairs, 'Jana, they go all the way down, then into the first workroom we see."

The thuds, and a glance through an open door and out the classroom's windows, finally convinced her, and Niranjana felt her breath coming faster than the exercise could account for. _Oh, Gods above,_ she thought, _this is real. This is real!_

They reached the back stairs at the same time as whoever was on the roof. Allina wrenched the door open, and the two of them lunged for the downward spiral as a pair of muffled explosions sounded, followed by a louder sound of metal impacting metal. Niranjana managed a glance up as Allina hauled her along two steps at a time, and saw the door to the roof access bent over the railing, dark figures racing through the haze of smoke behind it.

Someone shouted something behind them, but Niranjana was too frightened to make out what it was now, her heart pounding in her throat, normally ordered mind a chaos of conflicting desires and directives. All she could do was follow Allina and hope. More shouts, this time from below, were accompanied by more explosions, and something slamming into the rail near her hand hard enough to bend the tempered metal. She flinched back from that with a cry, and lost her footing, tumbling to the ground and taking Allina with her.

"Shit!" The swear was a surprise, even in these circumstances, but Allina did not seem to notice uttering it, "they're already in the first floor! We can't get down!"

"Out," Niranjana gasped, then, unable to form the coherent sentence to explain, lunged at the door to the second floor. "Windows!"

Allina nodded wordlessly, and helped her to her feat, the two of them hitting the spring-bar on the door at the same time, bouncing off that to race for the nearest outside classroom. They piled through that door, and a spastic combined heave threw one of the desks at a window, shattering it and sending desk and glass pin-wheeling out into empty air. "Go 'Jana!" Allina shouted, grabbing another desk and sliding it at the door just as it opened.

Niranjana reacted to the order before she thought, still following Allina's lead, and leaped out the window, at last remembering the powers at her command and wrapping herself in the flight spell. Glancing back over her shoulder, she could only watch as Allina's attempt to follow her stumbled to a spastic halt, the other girl jerking like a puppet for a moment, before falling out of view.

"A... ALLINA!" The shock of it, the horror of realizing that her best friend may very well have just died in front of her eyes, sent Niranjana spiraling out of control. Her temper woke with a vengeance, wanting nothing more than to go back in there and render those attackers down to so much obsolescent data. But she was also terrified, and convinced that Allina's last order had been the right one. Besides all of that, how could she manage to avenge Allina, when she could not manage enough control to stay airborne? The tears of loss, terror and impotent rage muffled her vision, reducing the world to bands of blue and brown as she plummeted, then a final flash of yellow.

------------------------------

Fate was enjoying a peaceful watch at her post on the bridge, reviewing readiness reports from her department heads, signing off on most of their recommendations with only cursory review. She had held this command for a year now, and was already familiar with most of the men and women under her command from the years she and they had served aboard the _Asura_ while Chrono was in command. She trusted her people to do their jobs, and so long as her ship performed as she needed it to, she saw no reason to countermand them.

Most of her attention was not on the reports, anyhow, but on the 'surprise' visit to Earth she and Nanoha had planned. Asura's patrol course was taking her through the area, so Fate had thought to stop by and say hello. When she had mentioned that to Nanoha, her oldest friend had decided that, while it was a month or so late, now was a good time to have a reunion to celebrate the anniversary of first meeting Hayate. Even Chrono had agreed to be on hand for a day, which was unfortunately still several days hence.

An alert chime brought her attention back to her current surroundings, and a quick scan showed simultaneous alerts at Sensors and Security. "Report," she request, soft voice carrying easily in the working stillness.

"Ma'am," Rondo, at Security was the first to speak, "we have an unauthorized teleport, through the relay system. Originating coordinates are from Earth," no one on Asura ever bothered reporting more than the name of the world... despite the size of their patrol area, Earth was too familiar a stopping point for all of them, "It appears to be Signum-san and an unknown. I've got security and medical teams on the way."

Concern spiked in her chest, "Medical teams?"

Rondo shrugged, "If Signum did not request permission to board, I presume she or her companion is injured. Merely a precaution, ma'am."

"Maybe not," Subaru replied from sensors, "I have a major dimensional dislocation on Earth, simultaneous with the teleport. The local sensor net is not reporting to us, so all I have is the alert, but if it was bad enough to force Signum-san to run..."

The two reports were enough to still Fate's growing worry and galvanize her into action. "Helm, maintain course for Earth, increase engine output to maximum. Medical, prepare for casualties. Sensors, get me everything you can on current status of Earth. Communications, give me a link to Headquarters."

"Um, Ma'am?" That from Tia at the helm, "confirm you want maximum _military_ power on the engines?"

The Bureau's ships were capable of attaining great speeds, but doing so placed a commensurate strain on their engines. That strain reduced engine operational lifetimes drastically, and carried high risk of catastrophic failures, so as a matter of course, ships cruised at fifty percent of engine power, with a maximum regular speed, referred to as 'maximum military power' of roughly seventy-five percent. It gave them all the speed they needed for normal operations, while not stressing the engines too severely. "Negative, Helm," Fate replied, voice still soft, "maximum available power, one hundred percent power to engines."

She could practically feel the shiver pass through her bridge crew. Bureau ships only went that fast when a world was ending. Before she could comment, however, a panel appeared next to her, Chrono looking quizzically out of it. "Fate-chan? What's wrong?"

"Someone has attacked Hayate's school," she told him, "we just detected a major dislocation at Earth, and Signum teleported aboard with an unknown..." she paused, as Rondo slid another screen next to Chrono's, showing who was in the teleport bay, already being moved to Medical. "Correction," she continued, "Signum brought Hayate aboard. Both appear to be unconscious at the moment. I am going to investigate and secure the site at best speed."

The phrasing of her last sentence was perfectly correct, but open to interpretation. In usual parlance, 'best speed' was maximum military power, but she could see in his eyes that Chrono understood what she really meant. _One of his best qualities,_ she reminded herself with a small smile as he nodded slowly, _he's smart enough to know what's going on, and good enough not to call me on it._

"Nanoha's in class at the moment, but she'll be free within the hour and on her way out to you. Will you need more reinforcements?"

Fate shook her head, "I don't know, yet. I'll be taking a squad ahead to investigate, once I'm sure Hayate and Signum are all right."

He opened his mouth to say something, no doubt about to remind her that it was her place as Captain to remain aboard and oversee her people's activities, not to charge headlong into battle herself. But he closed his mouth without saying anything, just shaking his head ruefully. "All right," he said after a moment, "your command, your situation. Keep me posted, I'll have Nanoha on her way to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Chrono-kun," she replied, a technical violation of protocol no one would even think to call her on, and cut the connection. She turned back to her crew, "Tia, you have the watch. Get us to Earth as quickly as you can. I'm going to..." Another alarm cut her off, this one rapidly followed by several more as red warning indicators flashed up all over the bridge.

"Ma'am! Intruder in med-bay, unauthorized teleport!" Rondo was crouched over his panel, pulling coherence from the flow of data, "Came right through the shields, didn't use the relays, something about the intruder is interfering with the ship's systems... it looks like..."

"Takashi," Fate snarled to herself, then ordered, "All field mages to med-bay, now! I'm going there myself!"

She raced through the ships corridors, calling Bardiche to her hand by instinct, and reached med-bay scant steps ahead of her field mages. She burst through the automatic door before it was completely open, Bardiche coming around to point through a window at the black-clad figure in one of the operating theaters, and...

"Captain! This is a medical bay, not a battlefield! Put that thing away before you hurt someone!"

The shouted order, and the raw fearless fury in the voice caused Fate to check, glancing over at her ship's doctor in surprise. "But that's..."

"Hayate's only chance," Doctor Siang interrupted, "I'm quite familiar with his case, Captain, but unless you want to go pull Wilhelm Kriegsen out of prison, he's the only person in the universe who has any idea what's wrong with her, or how to fix her. She's my patient, Captain, not yours, and I will oversee her treatment as I see fit."

Fate almost argued the point, but Siang was right, in more ways than one. "He's still too dangerous to be allowed to roam about at will," she decided, "There will be at least two field mages watching him at all times, Doctor, or you can take it up with Admiral Hallaoun. For now, I need to talk to him."

She waved at two of her mages, who followed her into the room, the rest remaining in the entry chamber. When she entered the operating room, a quick glance showed that most of Hayate's vitals were normal, but the readings on her linker core were either flat-lined, or massively unstable. Fate was somewhat familiar with how Hayate's linker core normally appeared to the Bureau's diagnostic equipment, due to helping the other woman learn to control and understand the new magic, but what she was seeing now bore no resemblance to what she remembered. So she turned to the only 'expert' available, "Takashi?"

"Her linker core has been severely damaged," he replied softly, not shifting from where he sat on the bed, twisted about to hover one hand over Hayate's chest. "She was in close proximity to a dimensional dislocation with insufficient shielding. Normally such things are no more dangerous to us than to you, but if we have not had time to prepare... Deva magic is reliant on the fabric of reality. If that fabric is distorted or torn, our magic will echo that damage, and thus will fail. Steps can be taken to guard against such effects, but Hayate did not take them. She apparently did not think them necessary."

"Can you heal her?"

Takashi shrugged, "possibly. I am no healer, however. I am a fighter, a destroyer. This... this was Sara's area of expertise, not mine, and it will be very difficult without the Hellblade for support."

Fate took a second to realize what he had said, "What do you mean, without the Hellblade?"

"I sent it ahead to Earth, with Akira, to secure some prisoners from those who dare harm my musume."

_Akira is on Earth,_ Fate thought, feeling that same shiver of terror that she had last felt above Ankor Wat. "Why did you bring that monster back?"

"The best way to fight a fire is with another fire," Takashi replied, "and the best way to slay a monster, is with another monster. Akira is my monster, and now he has free reign to pursue his prey. I would suggest that you follow through on your plan to return to Earth. I do not know specifically what they did to injure her so, but you will need to repair that damage soon, I suspect, before it grows beyond their childish predictions. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lecture to plan for musume on preparedness."

------------------------------

Of all the students, Cidela probably had the most warning. She was outside, at Signum's training circle, working with Rafiq to improve their connection. The drone of propeller engines overhead drew her attention upwards, and she actually saw the first of the paratroopers jump clear of their transport. As she watched them drift down, looking to her like dandelion puffs, her first thought was nothing more than mildly confused curiosity. She knew what they were, of course, but there was no reason they should be dropping on the school, so she spent quite a bit of time puzzling over why they were coming down here.

As they came closer, however, she was given quite a good look at their gear, and realized that four of them were re-directing their drop towards _her_. Friendly or not, mistake or not, those two things were clear indications that something was Not Right, and she decided discretion was the better part of valor. Scooping Rafiq up from where he had been curled in her lap, she bolted for the classroom building, intending to lock herself in a workroom.

She heard the landings behind her, along with shouts that she thought were aimed at her. But she was at the doors by then, wrenching one open and diving through it. Rafiq slithered up her arm to curl around her neck, freeing her hands for the second door, from the entryway to the hall, which let her get through that door faster, and make the turn towards the stairs by holding onto the frame instead of slowing down.

She reached the stairwell door just as she heard the outer door slam open again, and cursed her shivering hands as they slipped off the door handle on her first try. She got the door open, though, and barreled through, leaping to the stairs and taking them down three at a time, not noticing the fear of falling over the greater fear of being caught. She hit the bottom door without slowing, hard enough she knew she would have a nasty bruise in a short while, but ignored the impact to keep going.

The nearest workroom seemed infinitely far away when she came out, the sounds of the first floor door flying open and booted steps crashing down the stairs behind her loud as thunder in her ears. But she reached it before anyone reached her, and desperately sent out her magic to trigger the locks, only to find her fear overriding her control. The magic was unsteady, unstable, and she could not release the locks. Rather than struggle futilely, she paused, conscious of steps closing, and tried to calm herself enough to control her magic. Unfortunately, two men burst out of the stairwell before she could manage to open the locks, and one of them leaped at her in a flying tackle, closely followed by his comrade.

Cidela reacted, not as she was trained, but out of pure instinct and fear. Whoever they were, these people were not here for peaceful reasons, and the only reason she could think of for them to pursue her was to take her back to Egypt, where she refused to go. Her magic lashed out as the first man tackled her, twin flows that were remarkably precise for how poor her control had been a moment ago, one tagging each of them. The one who tackled her gasped once eyes going wide behind his over-sized goggles, twitching slightly before going still. The other stumbled, one hand rising to his left chest, before he, too, slumped to the floor.

The pause, the silence, after that gave her time to think, to get herself under control. She pulled herself out from under the one who tackled her, and removed his goggles and mask, studying his features for a moment. _Oriental,_ she decided, _too dark to be Chinese, but definitely mainland. They are not from Egypt._ Gunshots in the stairwell drew her attention, and she remembered how many people she had seen dropping out of that plane, remembered seeing a second plane circling above the first. Finally, she considered the two men next to her. "I can't leave them like this," she realized, heart twisting with indecision. "But if I stay to heal them, I'll be captured." An easy decision, in the end. "Rafiq, find someplace to hide. When this is over, find Shamal-sensei, tell her what happened to me, and where to find me."

_Mistress, this is not wise,_ Rafiq countered in her mind. _You will be safe in the workroom._

She shook her head, already sending her energies into the nearest attacker. The fear was still there, still affecting her control, but she had enough confidence now that she could do this without worrying too much about burning herself out. "I cannot leave these men to die," she replied, "I will not become a murderer. You can tell everyone where to find me, Rafiq. It will only be a day or so, before Hayate-sensei returns and this is over. Go, Rafiq. Now."

He hissed at her, plainly unhappy, then slithered down her back and up the hallway, disappearing around a corner.

When the next group of soldiers arrived, they found two unconscious fellows, and one unconscious girl, lying in the entryway.

------------------------------

The tunnel ended in a small concrete-walled room barely big enough for two of them. The only decorations were a small metal fuse-box on one side wall, and a metal ladder on the other leading to a metal hatch in the ceiling. Because of the size, Yussef was unsurprised to find that Noriko had led the others straight up without waiting, and just as glad of it. Chivying Natalia and Marcel up, he took a moment to look back down the long corridor, maybe a hundred meters, and wonder what was happening at the other end.

But he had his instructions, and let the door close and latch before opening the fuse box, and found three unlabeled buttons, red, blue and green. Stabbing the green one, he jumped halfway up the ladder, accepting Marcel's proffered hand to pull himself through the top and into a small cave. Nothing physically happened behind him, but everyone in the cave shuddered when the magical construct of the tunnel collapsed.

He found Noriko and Laura at the front of the cave, crouched down just inside the entrance. "We're halfway up the northern mountain," Noriko whispered, "about fifty meters from the floor of the pass."

"More dimensional warping," Yussef muttered, "good, they should have trouble tracking us down, then."

"Maybe not," Noriko replied, pointing out of the cave. "Keep your head down, but take a look. We can see the pass and the train tracks. There are hostiles there."

A careful glance proved her right, maybe twenty figures in the pass itself, and a number of vehicles down by the train-tracks, civilian off-road machines. "All right," he said dropping to sit against the cave wall, "I need some time to think, to plan this out..."

"Hell with that," Laura muttered, "we've got a target, let's hit 'em now and keep hitting 'em until the bastards cave."

"I intend to do that," he replied, "but I intend to do more than just attack them, Laura. I intend to defeat them, and I can't do that without a plan. And to plan, I need to know what resources are available. Marcel, you managed to contact any of the missing yet?"

Marcel nodded, "Allison and Noah are in a workroom. Megan's on her way here with Niranjana, who she says is unconscious. Cid-chan hasn't responded, neither has Mariachi or Allina."

Yussef nodded, then spun up the communications spell. "Noah, status please."

"Yo, boss-man," came the reply, "Ally and I've got... Ow! Stop that, you like that nickname and you know it. Ow! Dammit, girl, I'm trying to report here! Fine, fine... _Allison_ and I've got four prisoners. We made the mistake of taking a look outside, and these jokers burst in. They're tied down and unconscious, and the room's locked again. Want us to make a break for your position? I'd feel a lot safer with some more friendly faces around."

"No, stay where you are," Yussef decided. If they had the workroom secure, even with prisoners in there with them, they were safer than trying to get out of the building. "Hunker down and wait for me or one of the teachers to tell you all's clear." He dropped the spell, then reformed it with a new target. "Megan, you still free and clear?"

She did not reply at first, and he was about to repeat himself when she finally did, "Yeah, Yu-chan, what's up?"

He ignored the nickname, "Where are you?"

"Twenty minutes from the cave Shamal-sensei said to rally at, just inside the ring of mages," she replied. "I'm looking at a bunch of guys with guns standing around a bunch of other guys in funny robes doing a magic routine. There's another group a ways off to my left. I was just about to sneak between the two of them when you had to go and surprise me."

"Is 'Jana with you?"

"Yeah, she's awake now, too. Kinda busy crying though, so I don't think she'll answer you. At least she's doing it quietly."

"Can you get by the mages without getting caught?"

"I may not be Allison, but I'm not you, either. Yeah, I can sneak past them, with 'Jana. Like I said, twenty minutes from your position."

"Do it, then, but try to save your energy. I want you up here when we kick off the counter."

"Ooh, sounds like fun. Something to think, on though. These yahoos out here in the woods are the first trace of magic I've seen that wasn't ours. None of the bastards hitting the school used any."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," he replied, "now get up here, quick and quiet as you can."

Once that was done, he began narrowing down options, deciding how to take this fight to the enemy. At first he tried to picture all of it in his head, but he was having too much difficulty making changes to the mental picture. Finally he muttered a curse to himself, then shoved Zulfiqar into the floor of the cave point-first, ordering, "Eye of God."

"Yes Lord," the sword responded, and a line of blue light lanced out of the central sapphire, splitting almost immediately into four lines that rose up slightly. A fainter blue haze spread between the four, forming an off-center pyramid that ended in a horizontal base. The base then spread upward at the edges and downwards in the center, shifting and stretching, gaining definition until, in a half-meter square, the entire valley was represented.

"Right," he muttered as the others gathered around, "here's the access road, the class building, the library, the dorms." A point on one mountain flickered green, "here's where we are, here's known enemies," red points appeared in the pass, and a haze of red spread over the campus.

"Interface," Laura demanded holding out a hand towards him.

"What?"  
"_Interface_," she repeated more forcefully, "I can scan the valley, but I can't display it on your little picture there without an interface." He nodded after a second, and grabbed her hand, creating an interface between her and Zulfiqar. A moment later, he felt a torrent of information flow through that interface, and the three dimensional map was suddenly crawling with red pinpricks. A single green marker could be seen making its way up the mountain, and five more were visible amongst the campus buildings. "Jesus," Laura muttered, "there's over a thousand mages out there."

"And all of them are busy with something," Yussef muttered, studying the patterns appearing. "Look, they're almost all arranged in those groups Megan saw, squads we'll call them. What are they doing?"

"Suppressing the wards," Noriko said, "and our teachers. Remember, Shamal-sensei said something about being suppressed? That has to be these guys," she pointed to the ring of red groups around the perimeter of the valley. "They came in by road to nearby, then hiked in afoot. These outer groups to suppress the wards, then the main groups move in and suppress the teachers. They have to have figured, with them out of the way, the rest of us would be easy pickings."

Standing leaning over Ichigo's shoulder, Luke asked, "How can they suppress the teachers? No one's ever said anything about that being possible."

"Just means they haven't gotten to it yet," Laura countered, "Betcha ten that's what all those probes were about. They weren't trying to get through the wards, they were collecting information on each of the mages who created them, getting magical signatures."

"That would explain why we aren't suppressed," Marcel agreed. "But their use of squads to do this live and on site instead of using a machine or doing it remotely suggests..."

He trailed off, and Yussef nodded slowly, taking up the thought, "... suggests that the suppression is where they're vulnerable. We take out the squads in this main ring, that should free up the teachers to handle the rest."

"Why not just take out the outer rings," Juliet asked, "let the wards do the work?"  
"Because the wards may very well decide to turn on us," Noriko answered her. "I don't know how they are suppressing the Deva wards, but that does not matter. If even a few of the wards come back up, they will register multiple hostile intrusions, and react accordingly. They are just wards, Juliet, not mages. They won't distinguish between us and the attackers, except perhaps to focus more on the three of us as the strongest mages out here."

"Better to be inside the wards when they come back up," Yussef agreed. Still studying the map, a plan coalesced in his mind, one that should work, through a combination of surprise, audacity, and sheer power. "Right, we have two objectives," he announced. "First and foremost, get the word out. Marcel, Ichigo... when Megan and 'Jana get here, the four of you will head down the pass to the tracks. If they only left a couple of guards with the vehicles, capture them, disable the vehicles, then get to a phone. If there are more guards than you can handle quickly and quietly, just slip past them and get to a phone further down the tracks."

"Use the emergency phones along the tracks," Noriko advised, "Pound zero star zero will route you to an operator, instead of the emergency dispatcher." She held out a hand, grasping Marcel's wrist. Pink light shone from beneath her hand for a moment, leaving a faintly glowing phone number when she drew her hand back. "Give the operator that phone number, then tell her there is a Phinean situation. That will put you in direct contact with my father."

"After which all of Japan'll land on this valley," Laura commented with an unpleasant grin. "Almost feel sorry for these bastards."

"While the four of you are doing that," Yussef continued, taking control of the conversation again, "Noriko, Laura, I want the two of you to start sweeping up the inner ring. Separate, each of you go a different direction along the ring. Hit each squad in turn, disrupt whatever they're doing. Capture them if you can, but mostly just get rid of them. The rest of you will come with me. We'll hit the campus where all of you will try to get Allina, Cid-chan and Mariachi free."

"What'll you be doing," Luke asked?

Yussef reached out, tapping one red mark that was a little inside the main ring, just at the start of the access road. "I'm going here. Who ever's here is the one in charge of this mess. Cut off the head, and the body dies. Everyone understands their roles?" The others nodded, slowly and a few more than uncertainly. "Good. Luke, you're with Natalia. Toushiro, you're with Juliet. Stick to your pairs at all costs, but try to stay all together as well." Part of him really wanted to send all of them down to the tracks, to get them out of harms way, but he knew that, even if they agreed to go, they'd just turn right around as soon as his back was turned. He half expected Marcel to do just that once the phone call was made.

When the others nodded again, he stood up, pulling Zulfiqar with him and dispelling the map. Raising the sword, he looked through the space between the blades at his classmates, and ordered, "Soldiers of Heaven."

------------------------------

Author's note: Once again, my fabulous memory strikes. I was supposed to include the following in last chapter, but got ahead of myself in posting it. Below are the two spells used in Chapter 20 & those from this chapter that have specific names. A couple will be explained 'in story' in future chapters.

Schroedinger: based on a thought experiment created by Erwin Schroedinger. While the point he was making is rather obscure (essentially, proving Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, from what I can gather), the experiment itself is rather simple. A cat is placed in a box which prevents any outside observation, with a poison gas in a sealed container and a Geiger counter. When the Geiger counter detects the radioactive decay of a specific (pre-determined) nucleus, it releases the poison. As there is no way to observe the state of the cat at any point in time, and no way to know when the nucleus decays, while the box remains closed the cat exists in all possible states. It is both alive and dead, both inside the box and outside the box. Laura's spell duplicates the basic tenant of this experiment in an extremely liberal manner, placing her in a container which completely seals her from the outside environment, thus allowing her to be anywhere inside or outside the box, theoretically at will. In reality, controlling where she appears is exceedingly difficult, and she cannot maintain a position for more than a second or so. The primary weaknesses of the spell are two-fold: first, it requires six cartridges and almost all the energy she can channel beyond the cartridges. Second, the 'box' is a set of shields which can be defeated, thus terminating the spell with a high probability of unpleasant side-effects. Also, she is simultaneously alive and dead, which is a rather stressful experience. This use of it was inspired by the character Schroedinger from the Hellsing manga, a cat-boy who can be anywhere he wants to be, and survive even the worst wounds without a scratch.

Bulwark: a large-area shield, similar in purpose to Hayate's Barrier of Twilight, intended to protect several people simultaneously. Its shape and size are entirely up to Yussef at the moment of casting, though larger areas and more complicated shapes will require correspondingly greater amounts of power.

Henshin: Megan refers to her shape-shifting spell as Henshin, the Japanese word for 'transformation', with the animal form as a following qualifier. The Liger is the largest and most dangerous form she knows. Ligers are real animals, by the way, the product of a male lion mating with a female tiger, and they really are the largest felines known to exist.

Eye of God: A mapping spell, that provides a 'God's eye view' of the subject area, creating a 3D hologram reflecting terrain, buildings, and other known static features. Non-static features, such as personnel, can be added once their location has been determined.

Soldiers of Heaven: see next chapter:)

Author's Note 2: This also should've been included at the end of last chapter, for clarity's sake. The Circle's trap created a null space, that things fall into but can never leave, where all magic fails. This is the same sort of space that Pressia Testarossa fell into at the end of the first Nanoha series, though significantly larger.

AWOL: Absent With Out Leave, a military term meaning essentially that you left base without permission, orders, or some other valid military reason. A crime punishable by court-martial, only slightly less severe than desertion in the face of the enemy.

Phinean: The Phineans were a group of Irish rebels in the late seventeen hundreds and eighteen hundreds. One of their more famous exploits was getting a number of Irishmen to sign up with the British Army, in a plot to get those men to positions of power from which they could seize Ireland using the British Army and declare independence. Betrayal from within, essentially. Used here because, if I was setting up code-word scenarios, I would want to use something recognizable but so outside my cultural baggage that it would not likely come up in conversation.

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CrimsonDX: Here you go, as requested, another cliffhanger:). Glad you're enjoying it.

TheWhiteMonk: While the Circles would agree with you that this will soon be over, I think the kids would argue the point. Wait and see, wait and see, sometimes 'checkmate' is really only 'check'.

AceStarleaf: It wasn't all that short, though the various sections were shorter than usual. A lot of things happened last chapter (and this chapter), so... See above for what Laura pulled off last chapter, and I stole the line about the 'rotary air impeller' from David Weber's Honor Harrington series. I hadn't noticed Levantine's having a second chamber, I'll have to go back and re-watch it (thanks for the excuse!).

Kell Shock: You're close to right on most points, though not quite. Hayate and Signum are out of the picture, and the captured students are a problem, but Vita and Signum are not neutralized, so much as drastically limited, and when has Takashi or Akira ever done what was expected of them? I'm afraid I can't take full credit for Schroedinger, though, more's the pity.

liingo: Don't worry about reviewing prior chapters, any review's a good review (since I've yet to be flamed, thank Heaven). The Bureau noticed all right, but last chapter and this one take place over a space of about fifteen minutes, maybe twenty, and each section is roughly simultaneous with the others. I thought about leaving the boys in their pairs, but for reasons of control felt that Yussef would prefer to have one of his 'trained men' in each team, rather than have a couple reliable teams and a couple who's abilities he had little inkling of.

Sheo Darren: Hayate's not dead (yet:), just badly injured. Remember, these are kids, so Rafiq's preferred hiding place is just that, and you don't like Laura? Whyever not? I'll agree with you on the 'true believers' point, and the Grand Circle's appearance, though they are supposed to be the villains of this piece (and they do have a reason for their concerns!). None of the kids ('cept maybe Allison, Juliet and Yussef) are really capable of killing anyone deliberately, Laura's attacks, powerful as they were, were aimed at disabling. Now, how she's going to act in the immediate future now that her dander's up, that's questionable. The Circle chose to name the operation 'Nimrod' in deliberate remembrance of one of the more successful hostage rescue missions in history, precisely because that is what they feel they are doing... rescuing hostages.


	22. 22 Young Wolves

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 22 – Young Wolves -

"They noticed that," Laura reported from the cave mouth.

"More misfortune for them, then," Noriko replied.

"Remember, all of you," Yussef said, continuing his explanation, "the armor and weapons are not device-grade. They can hold a little extra energy, but only to enhance their own attack and defense. Any magic you cast on your own is still going to be straight from your own reserves and solely under your own control. These will take care of protecting you, so you won't have to worry as much about that, but they will not enhance your magic."

"We got it, Yu-chan," Natalia replied, looking over the gray leather body-armor that had appeared over her clothes, foot-long steel truncheon held negligently in one hand, "can we get on with this, now?"

Yussef almost argued the point, then shook his head. "All right, all right. Laura, how close are they?"

"Thirty meters and climbing," she replied.

"See them off, please," he said with a smile.

"I'll take the squad in the pass, Riko-chan, you take the ones up close?"

"Sure."

"Positron Buster!"

"Cascade of Spring's Glory!"

------------------------------

Standing on the overlook, watching the battle progress, Li nodded in appreciation. What to an outsider would seem a chaos of men running about aimlessly was, to him, a perfectly choreographed dance. The troops were all down, now, the suppression circles in place, all sixteen children confirmed in three of the buildings. It was just a matter of time, now, before they were all gathered together.

Flickers of energy drew his attention, and he had to shake his head in admiration. Even suppressed, the teachers on campus were giving his men a stand-up fight, more than he had expected, but not more than he had planned for. They would be under control in a matter of minutes, but he could still admire their courage and skill.

"Sir."

"Yes, Journeywoman," he said, barely shifting, letting the informality slide in the field.

"We have three prisoners secured. The retrieval team is bringing them here for transport. Two more have escaped into the woods, one appears to be a shape-shifter. Eleven more are in the library, but their location within the building is unknown. The top floor has been swept and cleared, and the Shamal program is currently preventing anyone from accessing the subterranean floor, so we presume they are down there. Similarly, the Vita and Zafira programs are preventing access to the house on the hill, and the Lotte familiars are currently holding the dormitory's common area. Our attempt to access on-site security through their network was terminated when their entire network crashed just as the lead elements were touching down, we presume due to commands from their control center in the house.

"In counterpoint to the lack of progress, none of the wards are currently functional, even the unknown type. The Doctor's idea of a resonant suppression based on the initial readings appears to be working well enough. Our strike mages are moving up to deal with the three points of resistance, and there is no way out of the library's basement. Current projections indicate we should have this wrapped up inside an hour."

A brilliant white flash caught his attention before he could reply, from a third of the way around the valley, in one of the passes. The pulse of magical power was massive enough to be sensed even from this distance, and the expanding globe of white was terrifying in its size. The deep rumble of the explosion arrived a moment later, still loud enough to settle into his chest.

"I would suggest that you re-evaluate that," Li commented calmly. "Expedite seizure of the programs and familiars."

------------------------------

Fourth Rank Adept Chaudri was of two minds about his responsibility for this mission. On the one hand, he was never a fan of guard-dogging rituals. It was universally boring work, watching another circle sit around in trance, shaping their combined energies to achieve whatever was necessary at the time. If he and his circle did their jobs right, then absolutely nothing happened. Balancing that, he had no interest in pitting himself or his men against heresy-enhanced mages, no matter how suppressed they were supposed to be.

So he found himself patrolling around one of thirty ritual circles spaced around the valley, and on balance, considering the light-show from the valley floor, decided he was glad of that. Glad, that was, until the blast from above and behind, where one of the outer ritual circles was responsible for suppressing the valley's wards. For a bare instant, he had some terrible premonition that someone had dropped a nuke, the blast was that powerful, the sound of it that close and overwhelming. Then he got himself back under control.

"Riley, pull your men around to the north quadrant," Chaudri ordered, surprised at how calm his voice was. Whoever was up there, they were throwing more power than his entire circle could manifest, which should have had him quivering in terror. But he had a job to do, and decades of experience doing it well. "Everyone else, spread out to cover the rest of the perimeter, we may still have a leaker trying to slip past."

His men replied with disciplined speed, spreading out across three quadrants, concentrating half his total force in the fourth. Riley was smart, one of the reasons Chaudri picked him as a second in command, and staggered his men, three men further out, the rest in defensive line right on the perimeter. All of them were on edge, and he noticed a few of his other men glancing in that direction nervously. He couldn't blame them, even as he yelled at them to focus on their areas of responsibility.

_Probably one of the allied mages we never got good reads on,_ Chaudri thought, contemplating the energy signature. _The one spotted in Kyoto, and scouting China, I bet. He'll be trouble, but we may be able to handle him, after that display. He has to be drained, but he also can't afford to wait too long before coming after us, or we'll have the valley wrapped up._

"Someone's coming," one of the two 'scanners' in his team reported, coming out of trance enough to add, "powerful mage, has to be artificially enhanced, north east, fifty meters and closing!"

He expected danger, a mage of power and fury, heretical techniques and heartless destruction. He was not disappointed.

She came stalking out of the dormant woods, at first a flicker of white amongst the grays and browns. That flicker resolved into a small figure, barely five feet tall, if that, darkness wrapped in a writhing evaporation-like white aura, long wild red hair floating and twisting madly about her head. A spear longer than she was tall held loosely, blade down just above her foot, in her right hand. Most disturbing of all, she was walking on nothing, a good six feet off the ground, amongst the tree branches, staring at them with a sardonic and confident grin. As she came within speaking distance, she spread out her left hand in a sweeping gesture, and called out, "Come then, children, pit your bargain-basement skills against Yagami Hayate's Quantum Knight, and let me show you the folly of your ways!"

Chaudri watched the apparition approach, witnessed the confidence in her stride and voice, and made the sort of command decision that earned him accolades as one of the most effective members of the Circles' Operations Directorate. While his men moved to defend their charges, he stood where he was, and reached up to trigger the radio strapped to his shoulder. "HQ, this is Field Guard Eight. Fallen Angel. I say again, Fallen An... Gah!" The last exclamation was caused by his radio detonating in his hand, tiny plastic shrapnel spraying across his shoulder and face.

"Ah, ah, ah," the whisper seemed to originate in the center of his own head, "let's not spoil the surprise for your friends, shall we?" It was the girl, and she was still standing beyond Riley's men, but she was staring at him, cupped left hand extended towards him, ignoring the steady drumbeat of mage-blasts from his men that... slid right past her, no matter how accurately targeted.

"Much as I'd love to stay and play," she called out verbally again, still staring right at him, "I'm a little pressed for time." She swung the spear up, letting it slide through her hands as it seemed to leap for the heavens, until just the pommel-spike remained along her upraised arm. The blade began to glow a brilliant white, "Einstein's Prison."

The white light pulsed, a brilliant flash, and Chaudri suddenly found himself being dragged over the ground by nothing he could discern, straight towards the girl. She laughed aloud, then lunged forward, naginata sliding easily through her grip. He had just enough time to think, _Heaven have mercy on us all,_ before he became too busy trying desperately to find a way to get out of the inexorable pull of the girl's spell, to at least release the ritual circle. But, as he was dragged closer and closer to the insane dervish that was tossing his men about with contemptuous ease, the most effective thing he managed to do was send a flare of raw power straight up, hoping someone would see it, and recognize it for the message it was.

------------------------------

"We can take 'em," Ichigo muttered, "there're only six of 'em."

Crouched behind a boulder, one leather-gloved hand resting on the damp rock, Macel shook his head sadly. "Ichigo, you are too 'gung-ho' for your own good. We can take them, yes, but only with thought and caution. Charging right in and blasting away will not work. Look how they wait, spaced about so no one attacker can reach more than one of them at a time. No, we need to think this through, be careful. With three of us..."

"Four," Niranjana interrupted, a whisper but still iron hard. Looking over at her, Marcel noted that, while her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, the tracks on her cheeks still wet, those dark eyes were rock steady. "There are four of us," she repeated.

Marcel considered that for a moment, then nodded slowly. Without realizing it, he came to the same realization Yussef had about keeping the rest of their classmates safe – if he tried to keep her out of it, she would do something on her own that would throw the rest of his plan out of whack. "All right," he agreed, "there are four of us. Still three-to-two odds." He dropped behind the rock, looking back up at the pass. There had been eight men down at the cars, but two had gone up to investigate Laura's less than subtle elimination of the squads in the pass. They had run into Marcel and Ichigo coming down the mountain, and were currently unconscious and tied up by their own clothes, their shoes reduced to cinders.

The six who remained were keeping an eye on the pass, but not on the route down from it, which made sense given the tree cover all the way up to the pass itself. But they were keeping a good watch around the entire set of vehicles, fourteen in all. Five of the men were evenly spaced around the improvised parking lot, and the vehicles were relatively neatly spaced, given the uneven terrain, while the sixth was perched atop one vehicle at the center, apparently in charge. The woods continued on the far side of the tracks, but the right-of-way was significantly broader than it had to be, and the vehicles were not actually amongst the trees, but a good five meters away from cover, parked in three lines.

"Megan, you're our best chance for sneaking around these guys." That had been a surprise, seeing Niranjana come up the pass seconds after Laura's strike clinging to the back of the biggest cat Marcel had ever seen. But after what he had seen and learned at this school, Megan's shape-shifting did not seem like such a big deal. Useful, yes, but not terribly strange. "Think you can get to the guy in the middle?"

Megan grinned, looking more like the cat she had been than before, "I think I can weasel my way in there."

Marcel matched her grin, then continued, "get in there, but wait for our signal. If you kick off before we do, we might not get there in time. Here's how it'll go down. Ichigo and I'll go for the two guys outside. 'Jana, take the one in the middle. When we hit them, Megan, take down the guy in the center. Ichigo and I'll carry through to the two in back." He paused for a second, then fell back on something Yussef had told him once in his Sunday class. "Fast and hard, guys, just like the two we ran into on our way down. Surprise is our best weapon, keep them reacting, don't give them time to think, or a chance to act. They're the enemy, they're between us and safety. Ichigo, head left. I'll head right. Let me know when you're in position. Megan, go for it. I'll give you ten minutes, no more."

"Gotcha," she replied, then closed her eyes, glowed briefly, and shifted into a weasel, that promptly vanished around the boulder.

Ichigo held out a fist, and waited for Marcel's answering punch before slinking off through the undergrowth. Marcel looked at 'Jana again, doubted the wisdom of letting her do this again, then gave it up. He squeezed her shoulder, whispered, "hold it together, 'Jana," and headed out for his own position.

He reached it less than a minute later, and crouched behind a tree, before crawling forward under a bush. He could just see his first target, walking a short back-and-forth patrol. Ichigo was in position, Niranjana was in position, and a moment later, he was surprised to hear Megan's voice in his head, _Ready to go, oh fearless leader._

It took a moment to shape the communication spell to reach both Ichigo and 'Jana, then he whispered, "go."

He had crouched with one leg bent up under his hip. Even as the word left his mouth, he used that leg to launch himself up and through the bush, ignoring the scratching twigs and leaves, both hands coming up in front of him. His target turned as he launched, face falling in surprise as Marcel's hands came up and together... "Buster Cannon!" The deep red bolt that shot from his hands was less impressive than Yussef could now produce, but still the strongest attack any of them knew. It struck the unprepared guard hard enough to slam him bodily into one of the vehicles, denting its grill and hood, after which he slumped to the ground.

To his left, Marcel could hear more shouts, feel more attack spells shivering along his nerves, but he shrugged them off, continuing his charge. He hit the nearest vehicle at a run, first step hitting the bumper and arcing him up and over the hood. He stumbled, almost fell as his snow- and mud-slicked shoe slipped on the paint, but stayed upright and managed to carry on to the roof of the SUV. He found his second target hauling himself onto the back of another SUV, and repeated his spell even as he continued forward.

He lost his balance at that point, hitting the roof of the vehicle hard enough to stun himself for a second, and he lost track of his shot before it hit. When he came back up, his second target was nowhere to be seen, so he kept running, leaping for a vehicle in the second row, then to the third row. His second target was there, sprawled out on the ground, shifting weakly, face badly burned. A glance further down showed Ichigo waving from atop another vehicle. Marcel returned the wave, then matched the following two thumbs up. It was not until he jumped down to secure the nearest guard that he realized his breath was rasping in his bone-dry throat, and that his heart was hammering like a canary's, somewhere in the vicinity of his tonsils.

_Damn,_ he thought to himself as he tied up the man with his own shirt, _adrenaline's a wonderful thing._

They found Megan's prisoner still conscious but spread-eagled on the ground, a gray-furred wolf crouched next to his head, growling every time he so much as twitched, Niranjana standing over his feet with a ready buster spell. Convincing her to let the spell go without shooting the man proved the most difficult part of the attack, but Megan managed it eventually. They wound up securing the five by the simple expedient of tossing them in an SUV in the middle of the group, then using magic to weld all the doors shut.

That done, Marcel left Ichigo, Megan and Niranjana to blow all the tires, while he went to the train emergency phone mounted on a pole two meters from the tracks. He followed Noriko's instructions to the letter, but did not need the code-word she gave him for the operator, the phone number alone was apparently impressive enough to her. It rang once, then, "Prince Akishino, go ahead."

Surprise held Marcel for just a moment, then, "Sir, this is Marcel Lafitte, I'm a classmate of your daughter, Noriko. She told me to tell you we have a Phinean situation."

The other end was silent for a few moments, then the man on the other end asked, "and how can you verify your identify for me, young man?"

"Did she show you her new fans over vacation, sir?"

There was slight hesitation, then "What's the situation, Lafitte-san?"

"The school has been attacked, by combined military and magical forces. Hayate-sensei and Signum-sensei are missing. All of the other teachers, along with three of our classmates, were caught on campus, but Shamal-sensei managed to get most of us out. I'm calling you from an emergency phone at the tracks just north of the campus."

"Where's Noriko?"

Smirking slightly, Marcel just managed to stop from laughing, "Counterattacking, I imagine. We're rather upset with these people, sir, they interrupted our lessons and hurt our teachers and classmates. I'd request reinforcement, but given how Laura, Yussef and your daughter looked when we parted ways, I think we'll need more of a clean-up crew than anything else."

"Hold the line a minute, I need to bring in some other people. You have information on the attackers?"

"Yes sir."

"You're going to be our initial briefing, then. Hold the line."

Marcel heard a click, then elevator music, and shrugged slightly. His mission was officially over, now, and his muscles were telling him to take a seat and go to sleep for a while. It had, to say the least, been a stressful day. But most of him was debating whether or not he could get the four of them turned around and back over the pass before the fun was over. _Yussef'll need backup,_ he decided. _Soon as I can get away from the Prince, we're heading back in. We can probably catch a few runners, if they try to get back to these vehicles._

------------------------------

The first squad proved simple enough for Noriko to deal with. While they were on edge and looking towards the pass she came at them from, they were not in any way prepared for her to appear amidst the trees surrounded by her Cascade, and she proved that, not only could the cascade smother someone into unconsciousness, it could do so to several people simultaneously. She did not have time to prove it, but while they could not see through the cloud to defend themselves, she found it did not obscure her vision, or her targeting, in the least, and disabled the two squads one mage at a time. The only counter-attack was a surprise, but Noriko barely felt the mage-bolt strike her, low on the left. There was not even a mark on her armor. She took to the air, dragging her cloud with her again, leaving her first target to fend for itself, now that it was no longer suppressing her teachers.

Noriko reached the second squad, and initially intended to take them down the same as she had the first. This group had some warning of her approach, and tried to defend themselves at least, the armed mages on perimeter establishing a fairly respectable combined shield. Their unified power was actually enough to worry her, a little. Yussef had been insistent that speed was their greatest weapon, that none of them, especially she and Laura, could afford to take too long on any one enemy. But at first glance, the dome of energy over the ritual looked too tough for her to bull her way through as she had the first squad.

_Speed,_ she reminded herself, as she floated out of the tree-line amid a cloud of pink, _I need to get through that shield __now__. What's the fastest way?_ Thoughts of speed flashed her mind back to when she first activated Senbonzakura, how she had told Hayate she would disable another mage. _I managed a hundred revolutions a minute before, how fast can I spin the whole cloud?_

"Sakura Typhoon," she ordered.

"Hai, Hime," Senbonzakura replied softly, and the sweeping wave of petals that was already enveloping the shield suddenly whipped into motion. Noriko could feel the pull on her linker core, as the thousands of petals around her suddenly accelerated into motion, gathering together around the problematic shield while simultaneously, as a mass, beginning to rotate around that shield. She pushed it faster and faster, sensing the shield wearing away as individual petals sliced at it, cumulative effects shredding the shield in under a second.

Senbonzakura's count had reached twelve hundred RPMs by then, and was still climbing. When Noriko released the Typhoon in favor of repeating her efforts with the first squad, she found it unnecessary. No one was dead, but neither would any of them be going anywhere but a hospital. Everyone who had been within the shield was marked by hundreds of slashes, and most were suffering from severe cases of backlash.

------------------------------

Luke and his team came out of the woods behind the dorm, having circled wide with Yussef most of the way around the library. A running scan had shown them that the Lieze twins were the hardest pressed, trying to cover too many directions at once. Shamal was firmly dug in at the bottom of the library's central stairs, the only basement access. Vita and Zafira were in a position only slightly more exposed in Hayate's house, the two of them more than enough to hold whatever room they had chosen to stand in. It was the Lieze twins, caught in the dorm's dining hall, that were exposed, trying to cover too many routes through the building on campus with the most open design. So, with Yussef's consent, that was where Luke lead his team.

"Shiro, Natalia, you two are defense," he whispered, checking briefly to see that both nodded. "Juliet, you're point. I'll provide covering fire. We go straight up the back of the Boy's Wing. Once we're in, Shiro shifts to guarding our backs. Stay with us, but keep the route clear. Once we reach the cafeteria, we fall back with Lotte-sensei and Aria-sensei, and anything further is up to them. Questions?" There were none, so he nodded to Juliet, and stepped out of the woods.

There were two men guarding the back of the dorm, one at the back door to each wing. As he stood out of the woods, the two glanced at him, but surprise held their reactions as he brought up both hands, and nailed the man at the back of the Girls' Wing with a Buster Cannon. Even as he was doing that, Juliet exploded out of the bushes at a dead run, passing right beneath his shot without even twitching. She reached the nearer guard as he was bringing his shotgun around, and merely plowed into him, driving him into the wall with magically-enhanced strength. She rebounded faster than he did, then rammed her fist almost straight up, snapping the stunned soldier's head back hard enough to bounce his helmet off the wall again, before he slumped.

Luke was already waving the others forward, and reached the door just after Juliet opened it. The two of them glanced inside, to find the hall empty, but the door to the common room at the far end of the hall open, along with every other door along the hall. "Juliet, Natalia, me, Shiro," Luke whispered, then tapped Juliet on the shoulder.

The dark-skinned girl nodded, shifting into the hallway to press herself against a wall. Natalia followed her a moment later, filling the hall with a shield just strong enough to be visible. Luke moved in behind her, and felt Toushiro building a second shield behind them. They moved down the hall, not quite running, but not walking either, in a bubble of force.

There were a number of men and women gathered in the common-room, but their attention was on the glittering white shield sealing them from the dining hall. Juliet hit the soldiers in back like a wrecking-ball, the truncheon Yussef provided flailing about in one hand, her other wrapped around something she had fished out of a pocket on the way down the mountain. Luke could just make out the magical charge surrounding her fist and weapon, a faint halo of power that gave her blows added force. For his part, as soon as he saw her charging forward, he started his own job, lobbing shots at the people in front of the shield, who he assumed were mages, based on their stance and trance-like attitudes.

Mostly, though, he cursed Juliet for bolting too soon. "Talia! Shield that idiot before someone gets a lucky shot at her back! Shiro, can you cover me?"

"Got it," Shiro replied calmly, and Luke relaxed slightly as he felt the steady power of his usual team-mate's shield settle in front of him.

"She's moving too fast," Natalia complained, "I can't keep up with her."

"Just don't let anyone functional in behind her," Luke ordered, trying to keep up a steady pattern of shots covering Juliet's assault. None of the shots had the sort of power he had used on the guard outside, but he was not so much trying for one-shot disables, as for confusion and cover. _A confused enemy is an ineffective one,_ Yussef had told them once, _overwhelm their senses, disorient them, convince them they are defeated, and you defeat them in fact._

It took surprisingly less time than he had expected before the entire group was falling back, retreating up the corridor to the front wing. He was not sure how he could tell, but he knew they were only retreating, not running, and did not let up until the last of them was through, leaving several groaning or unconscious figures behind. "Talia, seal that door," he ordered as he headed for the hall to the dining hall, "Juliet, help her. Shiro, how's the back look?"

"Clear," Shiro reported, "though I don't know how long. If those guys're smart, some of 'em will head around that way to pincer us."

"Just don't let them through," Luke replied, then put his hand on the shield keeping him from going any further. It was static, a mere wall, as opposed to the reactive defense he had been half-expecting, but he knew there was no way he was going to get through it without being allowed through. So he stepped back, shaped the communications spell, and said, "Lotte-sensei, we've got a route out through the Boys' Wing. You want to come with us?"

"Luke?!" The shout as loud enough that the others heard, glancing over at him. A moment later, hazily through the shield, he saw one of the Lieze twins appear in hall, looking at him, so he waved. "Luke, what are you doing here? You were out! You're supposed to be finding someplace safe!"

Luke shrugged and grinned, "Sorry 'bout that, sensei, but you've gotta admit, the safest place we know is with our teachers, ne? Come on, we need to get you two out of here and lend a hand to Shamal-sensei. She's pinned down in the library. Seriously, sensei, not sure how long we can hold this position, but we're not leaving without you, so can you please get _in _here, so we can get _out _of here?

There was a moment's silence, then, "It'll take ten seconds for Aria and I to disengage, be ready to move."

------------------------------

The crackling static was loud enough that Li turned to look himself, wondering if perhaps one of the radios had broken. The command van's interior was a narrow aisle flanked by two lines of radio equipment, only a few of which were actually monitoring his people. The rest were monitoring local police and emergency response lines, including the local military channels, in case one of those worthy organizations took notice of what was occurring here.

One of the technicians monitoring his teams' channels leaned out, whispering in his journeywoman's ear. She frowned, then reported, "Sir, we have a garbled transmission from Field Guard Eight. We..." she paused, frowning back doubtfully at the technician, who merely shrugged, "... sir, it is extremely garbled, we can't even be sure it was FG Eight, but... we may have a Fallen Angel."

Li felt his blood run cold at that, not so much in fear, as in grief. _One of them is already lost? So fast, so terribly fast,_ he thought to himself. Then the commander in him regained control, "confirm that signal."

"We have been unable to do so, Master Adept. Adept Chaudri has not responded since his initial transmission."

"Sir!" The shout from within the command van distracted both of them, "We're loosing strength in the suppression spells! Two of them are reaching critical levels!"

Li quirked one eyebrow, "identify which circles have ceased their rituals. If they're in the same..."

Another flicker of light drew his attention back to the northern pass, and he turned, half-expecting another massive detonation. But it was a single streamer of energy, a barely contained attack-spell, rising from the forest below the pass, and uncomfortably closer to this position than that first blast. A moment later, there was a brilliant flash of red from the house across the valley, and Li immediately recognized the feel of the Vita program's magical signature. "That was FG Eight," he said, "they've fallen. The fallen angel hit the pass, and is working his or her way around the perimeter. Smart of them, free the teachers, but leave the circles that can't run while our people remain inside the wards' effect zone." He thought furiously for a second, debating his various fall-back plans, then shook his head. As a trio of stretchers were carried by, two holding his paratroopers, one holding a rescued student, he said, "order the retreat. We'll have to be content with the three we've managed to save, and resort to less palatable methods to cleanse this pestilence."

"Sir, are you..."

"Positive, journeywoman. Given that signal, and how quickly the suppression spells are failing, there has to be more than one fallen angel out there. We aren't equipped for one, let alone two. Order the retreat."

Turning away himself, he strode over to one of the ambulances, climbing into the back with the girl. A paramedic was already checking her vitals, and Li nodded for him to continue, before reaching to pull the door closed. Just as his hand touched the handle, however, he felt a shiver of magic, then faintly heard, from beneath the edge of the cliff, he heard, "Buster Cannon!" The pillar of power that blasted through the cliff edge and then through his command van's front-end was... beyond belief. He could feel his shields struggling against the beam's corona, and was very glad not to be caught in the beam-path itself.

He slammed the ambulance door closed, and lunged for the pass-through to the driver's compartment, shouting, "Drive! Get us out of here! The girl's too important! Drive! NOW!"

------------------------------

Yussef came over the cliff just behind his first volley, ready for a fight and more than willing. The large panel-van was tumbled over on its side. An ambulance was pulling away, tires squealing, and Yussef lunged after it, knowing somehow that one of his classmates was in it, only to crash face-first into a forming barrier. The magical construct solidified in seconds, a towering edifice of ordered power. Before he could really start to study it, however, shivers of power wrenched his attention to the air a kilometer or so above the valley floor, from whence six massive lightning bolts crashed down around the campus perimeter. He could just make out a blonde-haired figure there, just inside the apex of the barrier, surrounded by several more.

A moment later, a booming authoritarian voice rang out, loud enough to be heard across the valley. "I am Admiral Fate Testarossa, Time-Space Administration Bureau. This site is now under Bureau authority pending investigation of severe dimensional dislocation. Lay down your weapons, release your magics, and you will be permitted to plead in your own defense. Continue to resist, and you will be subdued by any means necessary."

The message began to repeat, and Yussef actually felt himself relax. _Finally,_ he thought, _reinforcements._

Motion to one side caught his attention, and he saw an oriental woman, disheveled, bruised, and bleeding from a gash on her forehead, dragging someone else out of the tumbled van. He considered for a second, then swung Zulfiqar over his shoulder, feeling the sword lock to the back of his armor somehow, and strode over. She flinched away from him in surprise, but he just hooked an arm under the unconscious man's shoulder, and started pulling. "We'll set him down over there," he said, jerking his head towards a flat part clear of the barrier. _Should be enough space for everyone out of the van,_ he thought.

She did not help at first, but got herself together in short order. They worked in silence, stretching the man out and giving him a quick check to be sure there were no obvious serious injuries. Once Yussef was certain she knew what she was doing, he turned back to the van. Inside, he found a chaos of blown panels and scattered wires. Apparently part of his shot had back-fed into whatever equipment had been housed in the vehicle. Yussef studied that for a moment, then shrugged, cleared the debris of the nearest body. He saw someone else shifting slightly, and called out, "Hold on a minute, I'll be back for the rest of you as soon as I can."

As he laid the second man out next to the first, the woman shifted over to check him, then asked, "why aren't you helping subdue our forces?"

Yussef looked at her for a minute, then up at the figure still hovering over the area, though her escorts were nowhere in sight. "She didn't say anything about the students not having to surrender. Her orders were for everyone." He shrugged, and turned back to the van, "besides, I've accomplished my mission, there's no reason to keep fighting any of you. Oh, I'll still go after the ones outside this barrier, I've got friends to rescue, but anyone else in here, well... we're all prisoners of Admiral Testarossa, for the moment." He walked away, back into the van, and idly wondered if anyone would be stupid enough to keep fighting.

------------------------------

Akira phased into the dimension subtly, quietly, as only he and his master could. He paused for a moment, studying the wards he had bypassed to be sure they would not trigger now that he was inside them, then nodded sharply. Yet another successful insertion. It was so routine it was boring. _These locals,_ was his disappointed thought, _they are very good at keeping themselves from being found, but once you find one, their defenses are pathetic. Even Master's daughter's students could slip through these without effort._

Certain of the wards, he stepped more fully into the office, present, but still wrapped in his habitual cloak of invisibility, moving with the cat-like stealth that so unnerved most of his prey. He studied the man at the desk for a moment, considering the narrow face, the graying brown hair, the glasses, and, most important of all, the carefully concealed traces of magic about the man. Traces that suddenly spiked as Akira prowled closer.

The man looked up, frowning about him as he scanned the room. "Who's there? You're very good, but I can feel something off, a change in the airflow. Show yourself. This is a restricted facility, in more ways than one, and if you do not have authorization to be here..."

"I'm afraid," Akira interrupted softly, allowing a slight growl to color his voice with threat, "that I am not subject to your laws, Colonel Garreth Hughes. Master Adept Garreth Hughes. Circle Mage Garreth Hughes." He allowed his cloak to fade, and strode forward slowly, smoothly, allowing his pleasure at this hunt to shine through every motion. "My master has questions for you, Master Adept. Questions you are going to answer, one way or another."

To his credit, the man did not flinch, or break out in a sweat, or even try to deny anything. He just sighed heavily, pulled the glasses off his face, and leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose gently. "How did you figure it out? Miss Yagami didn't notice a thing."

"Bookkeeping," Akira admitted, seeing no harm in explaining. "Of all those who contacted Yagami-sama, you were the only one not to use the emergency line set up for the purpose, you were the only one to call regarding something that was not an immediate crisis. You also were the only one to ask questions, to seek to understand her methods and abilities, to gather intelligence on her capabilities. Further research showed that this building was not built around the dislocation Yagami-sama repaired, it was built prior to that dislocation's existence. Finally, your own records showed that the problem you brought her here to deal with occurred one year to the day after her first conscious use of magic, after the Tome of the Night Sky was completed for the last time and then destroyed. Seven months after construction of this building was begun. A most interesting coincidence of timing, Master Adept."

"And there is no such thing as coincidence," Hughes confirmed. Then he sighed again, dropping his hand back to the arm of his chair. "So, what now? Thumbscrews and hot pokers, or do you believe in more esoteric methods?"

Akira frowned at him. _Something is off with this one, where is his fear?__ I am his worst nightmare, yet he speaks to me as to a friend, comfortable enough to joke._ "That depends on you, Master Adept. You have information that my master requires. To retrieve Yagami-sama's students, and achieve justice for the insult done her person."

Hughes quirked an eyebrow. "That's all? Son, you could've just called. My number's publicly listed."

"And had you flee? No, Master Adept, I've found you, I have no intention of letting you slip away to a new hiding-hole."

"And I'm not going anywhere. I have no truck with attacking children, son. I got into this business, both businesses, to protect people. Ask your questions, son. If I can't answer them, I probably know who can."

------------------------------

Author's Note: Noah and Allison's view of the assault will be detailed in a Side Story. I've had it planned for a month or so, now, and there's extra background as to why they were in the workroom in the first place.

Author's Note the Second: I mentioned in a prior chapter that I had an image of Laura stuck in my head. That image would be her entry above, which is also the reason that section was from her target's view-point.

Spells

Soldiers of Heaven: This spell creates armor and basic weapons for mages who lack devices of their own. While not as good as the armor or weaponry provided by a device for its wielder, and not capable of a device's true functions of power management, multi-tasking and data processing, the armor and weaponry relieve the device-less mage of responsibility for creating such things themselves, thus leaving more of their energy free for pro-active measures.

Einstein's Prison: Laura's answer to Signum's comment about her not having any area-effect spells. It creates an attractive field around her, similar in function to a gravity well (it's _not _actual gravity, though). Any mage caught in the field will be dragged closer to Laura, who, like all Velka Knights, prefers melee combat. The weaker the mage is relative to Laura's Paradox-enhanced strength, the faster they will be dragged and the harder it is for them to escape.

Buster Cannon: There are two versions of this spell, Yussef's and the one he taught to the other boys. The basic, non-device version is essentially a long-duration buster spell. Instead of a half-second burst of power, it creates a relatively sustained blast (up to three seconds) in a coherent package that delivers more power to the target than an 'equivalent' number of normal busters, though the shot tends to destabilize and dissipate at longer ranges. Yussef's version via Zulfiqar is merely a scaled-up version, utilizing the device's enhancement properties to massively increase the power and extend the effective range. The non-device version ranges in power from enough to disable an unprepared human (as it is used above) to powerful enough to punch through several centimeters of most standard vehicle armors (at maximum strength). Yussef's version is roughly equivalent to Nanoha's original Divine Buster, but lacks Nanoha's range, as the shot tends to destabilize.

Sakura Typhoon: Actually a variation of Cascade of Spring's Glory, this spell takes the entire cloud of petals and initiates rapid rotation about a single point. Anything caught in the cloud will be rapidly shredded by the high velocity in a process grossly similar to sand-blasting.

------------------------------

Author's Note the Third: Something I've always done, but don't think I've mentioned – when I reply to reviews at the end of each chapter, I reply in the same order I receive the reviews, so please don't think I'm favoring any one or two people by putting my answers to their reviews first. The order of my replies is just a timing question, nothing personal.

------------------------------

TheWhiteMonk: here you go, stage one is now complete (actually, stage two from the story's perspective. Stage one from the Circles' point of view).

CrimsonDX: counter-attack, as promised. I'm only updating this fast because I was sick as a dog last week, and didn't go into work. Mostly better now, but I spent most of last week at home, sitting at my desk or sleeping (frequently both), and hence writing.

Baughn: Glad you're enjoying this, and that I'm getting the emotions across. Like I said with the first Side Story, I'm trying not so much to keep them in time with the main plot, as to put references into both so anyone reading an AB:SS can tell where, in AB, it's supposed to take place. I'm afraid there isn't really a 'recommended reading order' for AB:SS, since I really am writing those as ideas occur to me. Of the three, Hengeyokai Queen starts earliest in the year, h4x0rz would start a little later but finished sooner, and both ended prior to Holiday Surprises. Personally, I'd argue that AB:SS is still independent of the main AB mostly because the Side Stories are not strictly necessary to understand the main plot. Try reading AB without thinking of anything in AB:SS – there'll be one or two points that are obscure, such as what happened to that hacker Signum noticed back in chapter five and Megan's shape-shifting, but I don't think they're necessary to follow the plot. If I ever formalize AB:SS, I may put a 'table of contents' in the first chapter. As for putting in the Circles' viewpoint, I've found that if I don't do something like that, my villains tend to devolve (in my own mind) to mindless threats, which is boring, so I'm glad they're being well-received. I'm afraid I'm still not up for doing pure original works. I'd already read the Many Worlds theory (Wikipedia's great), just didn't want to put in a full physics paper to describe one spell:).

seaotter: Afraid I don't have anything formally published, and probably never will. I write for fun, if I start doing it to make a living, it would stop being 'fun' and start being 'work'. The Circle's aren't so much protecting Earth from magic, as protecting it from artificially enhanced magic. It's not Yagami Hayate they object to, it's her use of the Sword of Light and Reinforce. Though, from my plot-notes on them, they have been suppressing technology in general and the public use of magic for a few thousand years. As for the devices... Senbonzakura is an actual war-fan, all-metal construction, blades at the end of each vane, and I'm afraid I haven't thought of how many vanes each fan has (it may be a set number, I may have it change with her strength). The best I can offer for Laura's armor is 'high-tech anime', similar to what Major Kusanagi wore in the back of the van in the original Ghost in the Shell movie, or what Alita wore for Motorball without the helmet, the hardsuits from Bubblegum Crisis (either series), a picture I found on the web over a decade ago of a woman with a pair of heavy pistols on her hips drawing two kodachis, and so forth and so on – I'm afraid Paradox doesn't really have a single source image. The best help I can offer for Zulfiqar is a tuning fork, silly as that sounds – the grip ends at the guard, which incorporates part of the sapphire. The blades rise from the guard, partly to either side of the sapphire but also partly in line with it – they are essentially two katana-blades with the spines facing each other, separated by a few centimeters. As for ages: Hayate's nineteen or twenty (I'm not up for the complex math necessary to nail it down right now:); Luke is the oldest student at fifteen, followed by Natalia a slightly younger fifteen; Megan, Noriko, Cidela, Ichigo, Marcel and Allina are vying for youngest at thirteen; the rest are fourteen. Never mentioned specific ages before because it never seemed critical to the story, and none of them really define themselves by their ages.

Kell Shock: thank you for cheering my sickness (just kidding!:). I feel even sorrier for Qin – I cooked him up specifically to have his greatest mission all apart on him. I think Niranjana managed to \prove quite useful, she just can't be left alone quite yet (it's the quiet ones you've gotta watch out for – when we flip, we tend to go big time:). Here's Fate's intervention, and I'd argue she had excellent response time, by the Bureau's standards – not an hour after the initial incident, she's securing the source of trouble (whether or not she's done something about the dislocation itself will be dealt with in later chapters, I'm afraid). No comment on Cidela's capture, or what's going to be done about the three missing students – that's for future chapters. The number of mages the Circles brought are indicative of several things: the fact that they are individually much less capable than a device-wielding mage, especially in stand-up combat like they expected here; the fact that half of those mages were used in suppressing the school's wards and teachers, and most of the rest were used to provide security for those performing the suppression; the fact that, for all its age, the Circles have little experience with operations and targets of this scale, so they probably over-staffed; and finally, just how the Circles think, in terms of specific mages handling specific responsibilities and nothing more (remember how many were involved in the Kyoto incident, fourteen mages for an attempt to kidnap one girl). As for how much their loss is going to hurt the Circles, well... no comment at this time. I'd argue the point on Schroedinger's cat being in or out of the box – are you certain it was actually placed in the box in the first place, or that it did not manage to get out before the box was sealed while your back was turned? The only way to be sure is to open the box and check, thereby invalidating the experiment. Thank you, liberal interpretation of the Many Worlds theory! I know, it's a major stretch in terms of real-world, accepted, quantum physics, but quite frankly, _all _of quantum physics is a major stretch. Though, have you looked at string theory, recently? _There's _a silly idea!

HWSOD: you're welcome!

Aurioca: Here you go, and thanks for reading & reviewing!

Sheo Darren: I figured you liked her, was just joking. I was looking forward to Megan coming through that door since about Chapter Nine, the Kyoto incident, about when the assault on the school started to gel in my mind. I'm afraid I cheated to get Subaru's name (and several of the other members of Fate's crew) – I've seen them in the summaries for various other Nanoha stories. Not sure if they're all canon names, but I can assure you that none of the canon names used here will be canon characters. Again with the no-comment on Cidela's capture, other than to ask, what else could she have done? The different reactions of all the students are one of those detail things you keep mentioning. As for those, it's actually the result of advice for running role-playing games that I read somewhere (can't remember for the life of me, but in my defense, I read it almost a decade ago) – you can convince your players (or readers, in this case) to accept the most ridiculous things, so long as those ridiculous things are consistent. Everything has to make sense in the world you're describing, everything has to have a purpose and an explanation that is consistent with everything that has been described before. Soldiers of Heaven proved to be less of a point than I meant it to be (there was supposed to be a running battle for Cidela, but I couldn't figure the angles right to have the kids intercept), but is duly listed above. As for not wanting to read Cidela's and Niranjana's scenes... I didn't really want to write them, to be honest. Both scenes were plotted out to be longer than they turned out (semi-outlined and everything), but... one of those things where it wasn't enjoyable to write, so I just sorta sped through those scenes.


	23. 23 Pieces of A Dream

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 23 – Pieces of a Dream -

Securing the Academy took far longer than Fate had planned, mostly due to the fact that she had severely underestimated the sheer number of people involved. Two companies of mundane paratroopers, thirty ritual circles consisting of twelve mages each, thirty more circles guarding those, and six more part of the assault on the campus, plus a few random members of fifteen more circles that had mostly been outside the containment barrier when it went up. It was a ridiculous number of people - one thousand and sixty-two men and women, to assault a school holding, at most, twenty-seven people. She had expected maybe a hundred, given the limitations Hayate's letters had mentioned the Circles working under, and was completely flummoxed by the number of prisoners.

Simply finding a place to put all of them that would keep them out of trouble had been difficult. None of the school's buildings had been adequate, not even if she had chosen to use the workrooms, which was inadvisable for several reasons. The relatively open space between the campus' main buildings was the best compromise she could manage, and even then she had prisoners spilling out into the woods. Fate had been forced to request additional mages from Headquarters, simply to have enough warm bodies to keep an eye on the people she had captured, and that request, with her initial report, had touched off a minor crisis – no one in the Bureau had ever contemplated taking this many prisoners at once, simply because the power of any individual device-mage was so great that such concentrations of mages were ridiculously impractical. But Earth's Circles apparently worked under different assumptions, and now Fate had to figure out how to deal with their excessive numbers.

Even before she finished making those arrangements, a column of light-armored vehicles had appeared on the road from Kyoto, with a number of police running escort, and only the fact that she had brought a sensor-relay satellite ahead, and had Subaru watching the area around the school for activity, allowed her to intercept them before they started trying to shoot their way through the barrier. At that, she had been forced to bring Marcel and Noriko along to convince the force commander to relax. Sending him off after those who had been outside the barrier distracted him and got most of his troops out of her hair, but it was still yet another distraction.

She had found a way to make use of them, however, once their commanding officer was convinced that Fate was in charge of the scene, not him. They may not have been mages, but the JSDF troops were armed, organized, and at least nominal allies, so she deployed most of those that remained to help guard her horde of prisoners, and a few more to handle the slowly growing amount of traffic from local media and political organizations. By the time she was ready to bring down the containment barrier, the overlook from which she had first seen Hayate's campus was festooned with light-trucks and camera vans, enough vehicles to actually block half the roadway. Fortunately, the troops on 'traffic control' were part of the Imperial Family's usual security arrangements, and thus somewhat used to handling such situations, and those troops were doing an excellent job of keeping anyone else from getting further into the valley than the overlook.

She set up her command post on the roof of the class building, including relays to the _Asura_, since that position gave her a good line of sight to the entire valley. A few of her field mages were there, most of them working on tracking down those who had escaped the barrier. She also had a trio of her mages in Egypt, studying the null-space in preparation to trying to deal with it. She still had no firm conclusions as to where that had come from, since the only two probable witnesses were still unconscious in _Asura_'s med-bay, but she had a very good idea.

It was well after sunset before she finally allowed herself to relax slightly, to step back from exerting control over the situation and get herself back together. Leaving Rondo in charge of the command post, she took to the air, ignoring the sudden amplification of flashes from the overlook, heading for Hayate's house. She had sent the students and her old teammates there, rather than leave them on campus. The house had some damage, but Vita and Zafira had managed to hold it relatively easily, and the students were less likely to associate the house with any particular moment of the attack, or their missing fellows.

When she landed on the deck, she was unsurprised to find that all most of them were still together, sitting in the living room. It was the sort of camaraderie she had never felt as a child, but had found and relished when Nanoha brought her aboard _Asura_, and she was glad they had that community spirit already, to help them through this. She counted heads through the glass, as she moved to open the door, and came up three short, so when she had the door closed, the first thing she asked was, "Where's Zafira?"

"He doesn't like to sit still and wait," Shamal replied softly, currently sandwiched between Megan and Natalia on the couch, Niranjana asleep on her lap. "He took Yussef and Luke to start cleaning up the damages here in the house. Has there been any word?"

Fate sighed, knowing just how many questions that really was, and shook her head, "I'm sorry. Hayate and Signum are still unconscious, though Signum should come around soon. She is only suffering from drain due to teleporting so far while in the vicinity of a null-space. Takashi is still working on Hayate-chan. As for the missing students..." Fate gave a hopeless shrug, seeing the falling faces out of the corner of her eyes. She did not know any of these kids, not as more than names and faces Hayate's letters had mentioned, but it still hurt, not being able to reassure them.

"We'll find them, and the bastards that took them," Laura muttered, frowning at the ceiling. She was sitting at the foot of one of the recliners, head back in Noriko's lap.

Noriko, for her part, was almost at the center of another formation like Shamal's, flanked by Marcel and Juliet sitting on the arms of the chair, with Ichigo leaning over the back. "We already have Rafiq," Noriko said, taking one hand out of Laura's half-braided hair to caress the snake curled up around her neck, "he can lead us to Cid-chan, wherever they try to hide her."

"Mariachi and Allina will be the hard ones," Vita muttered, leaning against one wall, both hands fiddling with Graf Eisen's dormant form. "They don't have an external focus that will be as hard to shield as the familiar-bond. We'll have to find them the hard way."

"We will," Laura repeated utterly confident.

"Under Bureau supervision," Fate reminded them, "with Bureau assistance. I'm afraid, until Hayate is able to resume her duties, this matter will have to remain under Bureau jurisdiction. These people came frighteningly close to destroying this planet, to damaging the very fabric of reality beyond repair. We cannot afford to leave them loose to try again, but we also cannot afford to descend to their level. I have some ideas, Vita, on how to track all three students."

"Let Laura take a look at the prisoners," Yussef suggested from the hall. "She'll find the strongest, the ones in charge. Then Allison and I take them off to the side, ask them a few questions, and come back with their rendezvous points and contacts. Problem solved."

Standing next to Vita, Noah sitting on the floor next to her, Allison snorted, "What, Yu-chan, you think I can't get some answers on my own?"

He shook his head, "Nope, just think it'll go faster with two of us. Tag-team the fatherless bastards."

"It'd go faster with all of us," Marcel commented.

"I've got the ethnic reputation," Yussef countered, "and no one else here quite matches Allison's attitude. No offense, but it'll be more believable with just Allison and I."

_Kami-sama,_ Fate thought, looking over the collected students, _they're serious. He's talking about torturing someone, and they're not objecting._ "I'm afraid I can't allow that, young man," she said aloud, frowning sternly at him. "These prisoners have rights, however limited, and one of those rights is protection from torture."

Yussef shrugged, "Didn't say anything about torture. I said I'd get answers."

"You implied torture," Fate snapped back, "which is not the sort of barbarity I would expect from one of Hayate's students."

"She's right," Vita said, "much as these... people... deserve it, we can't do that, Yussef. We're the good guys, we don't stoop to that level."

Yussef just shrugged again, moving further into the room to lean on the couch arm, and changed the subject. "We've got a front-door rigged," he reported, "took one of the doors off a guest room. It won't do for long, but it'll keep the cold out tonight. We've also found enough mattresses, sleeping bags and what-not for everyone. Zafira and Luke are setting them up now, but he asked me to find out about dinner?"

"Life goes on," Shamal whispered, "I'll take care of it..."

"Stay there," Ichigo countered, "Marcel and I'll handle it."

"Guys cooking? Like hell," Juliet replied, "but I could use the help. Come on."

Fate watched the trio shuffle into the kitchen, and cocked an eyebrow at Shamal. "Are they always this..." She trailed off, unable to find a way to describe the collected students. She had expected crying and questions, fear and uncertainty. She not expected this calm sense of waiting, almost anticipation.

"… this much like you were at their age," Shamal finished her question, smiling gently? "Some of them are always like this, yes, others only in times of stress. You should have seen what they were like for finals, though. That was scary. This is... waiting. I told Hayate once, I pity anyone foolish enough to rile our students, and I meant it."

"You're comfortable with students helping on the rescue?"

"Rescues," Laura corrected, "plural."

"They would be foolish to leave all three of our classmates together," Noriko explained, "separating them will make them easier to hide, easier to protect. It will divide their resources slightly, but not to a dangerous degree, given what they used here today."

"We probably broke them here today," Fate replied. "This many mages... they can't have many left."

"There are more than eight billion people on this planet, Fate-san," Niranjana whispered, eyes still closed, "and magic is on the rise here as it has not been in centuries. Current estimates are that zero-point-seven-five percent are mages, which works out to sixty million mages. Of those, given what Shamal-sensei and Vita-sensei have told us of the Circles, I estimate half are part of these... Circles. They are concentrated in Asia and Europe, with lesser concentrations in Australia, Africa and the Americas. They will not go far with our classmates, though. They will hold all three of them in Asia."

Yussef asked, "Based on what, 'Jana?"

"Chinese paratroopers, Chinese and Russian equipment, most of the mages involved here come from Asia – the Koreas, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and so on. That suggests that this operation is being run from one of those countries, probably China, given that country's size and closed society. Easier to hide there. They will take Cid-chan there, possibly one of the others, and hide the last in Vietnam or North Korea. Again, closed societies."

Fate listened to the exposition, the analysis, with more than a little surprise. Admittedly, she was unfamiliar with Earth's political divisions beyond the existence of Japan, but she had heard similar appreciations from the Bureau's Intelligence types. The tone was a little different, softer and not as coldly logical, but it was the same sort of certain analysis, the same feel of reasoned intent. The only problem was, it was coming from a fourteen year old girl who had been alternately near-berserk or inconsolable since Fate met her. "We'll determine that after questioning – _not_ torturing – my prisoners."

"She's right," Laura countered, "'Jana's _always _right."

"We'll ask Takashi once Hayate-sama's awake," Vita said, "he and Akira have been scouting China for us, he might know where to start."

Laura finally stopped staring at the ceiling, rolling her head down to look at Vita, repeating Fate's question. "You going to object to us helping? They're our friends, our classmates, and we proved here today we can handle ourselves."

Vita shrugged, "I've got no problem with it. Nanoha-chan was doing more dangerous work for the Bureau before she was your age, so were Fate-san and Hayate-sama. Hayate-sama won't like it, but she'll let you. Too much to do, too much chance one of you'll go off half-cocked, otherwise. You'll be part of the rescue. Not the payback, though." Vita finally smiled, more than a little unpleasantly, "Hayate-sama may just let Takashi loose for that."

------------------------------

Master Adept Li entered the observation room alone, holding the door for a second out of sheer habit, before remembering that his aide was among the missing. Giving himself a mental shake, he let the door swing closed, then walked over to stand next to the Doctor, looking at the lone live screen. It depicted a small concrete room, with a single bed and curtain-shrouded toilet. The room's lone occupant, a young girl, was stretched out on the bed, apparently unconscious.

"She's incredible," the Doctor noted softly, as if afraid of waking her. "The retrieval teams thought she was unconscious, but she's not. She's in a trance, has been for hours now."

Li glanced at him, then back at the screen. "Any idea what she's doing?"

The Doctor shook his head, "not much. She has maintained a single subtle flow of power, one that is worming its way through any shields we establish over her. Our attempts to bring her out of trance have failed completely. If this continues much longer, we'll have to take steps to maintain her vitals... IV drip, catheter and the like. I'm tempted to put her in one of the null-chambers, but I'm more concerned about how that would affect her, forcing her out of such a deep trance so brutally. We do not want to damager her, after all."

"No, we don't, but we may have to. Could she be creating a beacon? Something for the heretics to track her with?"

The Doctor thought about that for a moment, before slowly shaking his head. "No, I do not think so. Oh, the strength is there for it, but the flow is too... specific, too focused, to be a beacon, and no one outside the shield is detecting anything unless they trace the flow deliberately. Oh, I suppose it's theoretically possible she could be maintaining a link to one of her teachers, or something, but the suppression circles during the operation would have prevented her from forming that link. Remember, she was already in this trance before the operation fell apart." The Doctor gestured at a lock-box sitting on the control table, "we took a device of some sort from her, that she was originally channeling the energy through. I'm tempted to study it, but the Laws are quite clear, and I've already made arrangements to have it melted down and purified. I have a circle trying to trace what she's doing, but that will take some time."

"How strong is this flow?"

The Doctor turned away from the monitor finally, raising one eyebrow. "How strong? The last person her age I can remember handling that much energy was Lord Britain back when he and I were apprenticed together. When you were her age, you would have burned yourself out had you tried to handle that much power at once, let alone maintain it this long. This girl's amazing. I have no idea how we missed her, but she alone is enough to make me rethink our 'family only' recruitment policy."

"Something to debate another time, but I'm afraid that, however strong her potential, we will probably have to risk forcing her out of her trance. We can only confirm eliminating the Yagami woman and one of the programs. The other three programs, and the two constructs, the 'familiars', were not eliminated before that insane barrier appeared. We can also confirm a minimum of two of the children are already lost, probably more."

"You're certain of the Fallen Angel report, then?"

"I saw one of them myself," Li confirmed, "the Arab boy. And he arrived too soon after the first alerts to be the cause of them. So, at least two, more probably more, given how quickly the suppression circles fell. That was an impressive bit of planning on their part. They hit our most exposed forces too quickly and too generally for any sort of counter. We, _I_, underestimated the level of their contingency planning and training. Regardless, between the lost ones, our failure to eliminate more of the programs, and the number of our people they captured, especially who they captured, we cannot count on any of our facilities remaining secure. They will come after the children we rescued, it is only a question of time."

"She is safe to move as of right now," the Doctor allowed, "and we can continue to trace what she's doing while moving her. Where to, do you think?"

"The other two have already been forwarded on to the fortresses where they will be evaluated, de-programmed, and trained. There's a plane standing by to take her. Have her ready for transport within the hour. I'm going to ahead to begin updating our security plans. Oh, and Doctor... we may need you in your traditional capacity. I have ordered the use of Wolf Packs, as the only way to counter the un-catalogued mages."

------------------------------

Mariachi woke with a start, freezing at the unfamiliar surroundings. The mattress was too thick, the smells too strange, and the sounds too different for this to be a different room in the dorms. Besides, Laura and Toushiro had played that prank on him once already, and he was confident the wards on his room would have woken him if they had tried again, which told him immediately that this was something worse.

Memory was slow to return, a fact he blamed on the splitting headache, a serious ache in his chest, and the fact that every muscle in his body seemed to be sore. It did return eventually, however, starting with vague memories of a panicked Lotte-sensei dragging him out of his room and sending him running with orders to get into the woods and hide there. He remembered her stopping for some reason, then bolting out the back of the building. Shamal's telepathic warning and order caused him to stop and stumble, and that, he realized, was what got him caught. He was just out the rear of the building, when armed men he never really got a good look at came charging around the corner. He remembered a shotgun going off, remembered trying to get back to his feet, then a weird pain like a kick from a mule in his lower back.

He was still wearing the school uniform, black pants and tie, white button-down shirt. A quick check showed a bruise the size of both his hands on his right chest, black and blue with yellow already shading the edges. A check of his lower back showed no bruise, but a pair of pinprick scabs and some very tender skin. Self catalogued, he turned to take stock of his surroundings, and found himself in surprisingly comfortable but definitely unfamiliar surroundings. The room was small, half-panel walls of dark stained wood, upper half white painted drywall. There was a dresser in one corner, no actual drawers, just cubby-holes filled with clothes, and two doors. The only light came from a pair of florescent strips embedded in the ceiling. _No windows,_ he noted, _and nothing in here that might be dangerous. Not even a light switch._ He pulled up a little energy, and found that, while he could draw on his magic, he was surrounded by strong shields, almost as strong as the workrooms' shields.

He was still exploring those, and debating his response to his predicament, when the door opened, snagging his attention. The man that walked in looked a little exotic to him, dark skin, dark wiry hair, oddly structured face, at least compared to what Mariachi was used to. The closest to this man's type that Mariachi had ever seen was either Yussef or Niranjana, but neither of them was quite right.

"Good morning, young Hector," the man said, unknowingly guaranteeing Mariachi's dislike, "My name is Sayed. I will be your new instructor, for at least the next few years, and thought you might like to start getting acquainted."

Mariachi frowned, "New instructor?"

"Yes. Despite your recent rescue, your instruction must continue, if you are to catch up to where your peers are. I will be overseeing that."

"I don't remember being rescued," Mariachi countered, "and I don't recall Hayate-sensei saying anything about new teachers."

Sayed's eyes narrowed, "The Yagmai woman is gone." Mariachi froze at that, feeling a spike of pain and fear, but Said carried on, "You have been freed of her influence, though I understand how confused you must be. I am here to help you through that confusion."

"Help me?" Mariachi glared at him, "You can 'help' by returning me to the school I _chose _to attend, instead of holding me in this overly-comfortable prison cell."

"It is not a prison cell. The shields are there for your protection. There are a number of magical affects and procedures in this facility which can be disconcerting to the young and inexperienced."

That was surprisingly reassuring to Mariachi. "You obviously didn't catch Laura then," he told Sayed, "or you'd know how idiotic that statement is." Part of him wanted to ask questions, to find out where he was and what precisely was going on, but he was in too much pain, too confused, and, frankly, too scared. Right then, he just wanted to be alone, to get rid of this idiot before he did something embarrassing, like broke down.

An idea occurred to him as Sayed began explaining this place's rules, and he was actually disappointed he had not thought of it sooner. A moment's planning gave him the perfect execution for it as well, and he silently blessed Hayate for creating such a massive and wide-ranging musical library. "You know, there is something you can help me with," he told Sayed, cutting of the other man's continued rambling. Sayed fell silent, and Mariachi gave him a vicious grin. "You see, I've got this song stuck in my head, and I can't wait to get rid of it. It goes like this..." He almost stopped, actually feeling a little guilty for what he was about to do to everyone who might be listening, given how vehemently he despised the band's mindless mnemonics, but, well...

"I lost my lucky ball and chain,

Now she's four years gone,

Just five feet tall and sick of me,

And all my rattling on..."

It took all of _Lucky Ball and Chain_, followed by _Istanbul_ and most of _Particle Man_, before Sayed gave up and fled. The only problem with the plan was that Mariachi now had every _They Might Be Giants_ song he had ever heard in his head, his memory for music making the words and music as painfully clear as if he were listening to the original recordings. So he decided to share, since he was fairly certain there were microphones and cameras hidden in the room.

Leaning back on the headboard, he continue singing, getting into the music and having fun with it, feeling his magic rise as it always did. Even better, as the songs continued, he could feel the shields on his room begin to react, shimmering just like the workrooms' shields reacted to his music-magic. While part of his mind focused on his singing, making sure it came out right, another part began dredging up every annoyingly unforgettable song he could think of.

_Come on, Vita-sensei,_ he thought, _You've got to be able to detect this. Lord knows you get pissed at me every time I try it at school._

------------------------------

When Allina came to, her very first thought was, _did 'Jana get clear?_ She remembered watching her go out the window, and she seriously doubted there was a police force in the world that could fly, not at that altitude that close to the woods. A little further thought, however, proved that that could not have been any sort of police force. The only other force Allina could think of that might want to attack the school was whoever had been probing its defenses, which meant they may very well have been able to fly.

The room she found herself in was seriously discouraging, however. Plain concrete walls, a narrow cot against a side wall, a plain steel table in the center of the room, and a single bare light bulb in the ceiling a good three meters straight up. All the furniture was bolted to the floor, and the only door was a solid steel affair, with a narrow vision strip sealed by another metal plate. There was no handle or hinges on the inside. In the upper corners of the wall with the door were two cameras behind plastic shields, small metal grills in the plastic revealing obvious microphones.

Magically, the room was even more isolated. The shields were quite obviously layered, solidly built, and they felt... old. A little experimentation showed she could generate magical effects of any sort she wanted, but they all stopped a millimeter short of the walls. Nothing, not even what normally got through the workroom shields, would get out. Which left her no way to find out where she was, where the others were, or even how long she had been out.

It was shortly after she stopped testing the shields that the door finally opened. The woman who entered was tall, thin, and neatly appointed in a European business suit. Blonde hair, European features, and a certain set of her mouth told Allina instantly that, whatever was said, she would not like this woman. Her first words confirmed it. "Now that your temper tantrum is over, I am willing to begin explaining your situation. Sit. Listen."

Allina thought about arguing, but pitching a fit would be a useless waste of energy, so she plunked into the seat opposite the door, glaring at the woman. "Good, you have discipline. That will be useful in ridding you of the errors you have learned." The woman continued on, pacing slowly back and forth along the far side of the table, but Allina rapidly tuned her out. The woman's voice and attitude were too annoying, and there was something else, a fluctuating whine just at the edge of her hearing, something that called out to her.

It took a while to find it, because she had never heard anything like it. It was not until she realized it was not her ears hearing it, but her linker core. Once she realized that, she began trying to track it down, thinking it might be a weakness in the shields, a resonance she could exploit. As the still-unnamed woman rambled on, listing rules and consequences, Allina gave her just enough attention to look like she was listening, and focused on finding that whine.

She found it emanating from one of the woman's pockets, a regular cyclical whine. The location almost convinced Allina it was a trap of some sort, but it remained just that whine, even as she cautiously tried to probe it. Unable to get further by scanning the woman, she went to turn her attention back to the shields, which gave her quite a shock. Despite causing her linker core to react, the signal passed through the shields without drawing any sort of reaction. The thing was, the signal had no target, it was omni-directional, which meant there was nothing outside the shields for her to track down and hopefully put to use. But coming in from outside the shields was another signal, also omni-directional, on the same frequency. It was then she realized what she was hearing.

"You must get great reception," she muttered, interrupting the woman's tirade.

"Excuse me?" The woman's tone was hideously insulted.

Allina looked up, having kept her gaze on the table the whole time, and smiled at the woman. "Your cell phone. You must get great reception. Too bad for you I hate phones." It was remarkably simple, a high-strength burst focused on the phone, on the same frequency as the phone. Cell phones are designed to send and receive small amounts of energy in modulated form. This one received the high-power burst Allina sent as it would have any other signal. There was a high-pitched chirping as the phone began to ring, then a snapping sound and distinct odor of burning plastic as the circuits overloaded. The woman shrieked as smoke erupted from the left breast pocket of her suit, and had to scramble to get the melting plastic out of her pocket, bouncing the heated object comically to cool it.

"That's something of a specialty of mine," Allina said, still grinning wickedly at her, "frying electrical systems." True, from a certain point of view. Normally she was seizing control, was not that destructive, but there was no reason to tell them that, if they did not already know.

The result was a significantly louder tirade, followed by notice that she would not be getting dinner and possibly no breakfast either, followed by the woman storming out, leaving her ruined cell-phone. Allina just laughed at her until the door slammed closed. _That woman's going to be insane before I'm done,_ Allina determined, _I may not be Laura, but then, no one's pissed me off this much in years. Absolutely psychotic._

Once she was alone, Allina curled up on the bed, and started working for real. She had no doubt they were monitoring her magic, as well as her activities, but they had to be confident in their shields, and she had to do something or risk going crazy herself. So she began trying to emulate that signal, the cell phone's trace-carrier by which it maintained its connection to the company's network. It took her almost an hour, but she finally managed to generate the same signal, right down to the modulation, and found herself in direct access to a network.

That took hours more effort, generating some way to handle the interface, translate its code into something her mind could understand, and she wound up having to create a magical construct in her own head to handle it, the sort of on-the-fly creativity that confused Niranjana no end, and made Laura so much fun. Once that was done, came the easy part – hacking the network. It was, she figured, around midnight, when she finally figured out how to accomplish that most fundamental of tasks – dialing a number.

The connection was made, and it rang four times, before a suspicious but familiar voice picked up. "Who is this?"

Allina smiled into her pillow, and whispered, "Hey, how's my baby-hacker?"

"A... _Allina_?!"

Merely hearing Niranjana's voice convinced Allina she was free, and settled most of her nerves. They would have taken her cell phone just as they had taken Allina's. "Yeah, 'Jana, I seem to've misplaced the school, do you think you could let me know where I could find it?"

"How'd you get a cell-phone?"

"Didn't. The shields they've got me under don't block cell-signals, so I'm faking one."

"Shamal-sensei wants to talk to you," Niranjana murmured, "stay safe."

"So long as you're free."

There was a long silence, then Shamal asked, "Allina, is it really you?"

"Hai, sensei. I can prove it, too."

"I'd like that," Shamal said, sounding very dubious.

"During the fight the network crashed, right?"

"Yes, when the Circles attacked it."

"I crashed it," Allina said, almost wanting to laugh, "by triggering Yggdrasil's containment protocols. I buried a sleeper program in every PDA and work station on the campus months ago, set to a trigger on my PDA. When it went off, every one of them unleashed automated hacking programs on Yggdrasil's network address, one's I've already tried and found unworkable. I figured out a couple months ago that Yggdrasil runs the school network, but its containment protocols call for it to sever its connection to that network if a certain threat threshold is crossed. Severing the main server brought the whole network down, thus denying these idiots access to Yggdrasil. Slick, wasn't it?"

"Very," Shamal replied, and Allina could almost hear her laughing. "'Jana says you're emulating a cell-phone?"

"Yeah, think you can trace it to find out where I am?"

"Unfortunately, _someone _seriously damaged our Earth-side network recently, meaning Yggdrasil is unable interface with cell-phone networks. Thus, we can't trace you. Do you think you'll be able to call back?"

"Maybe, if they don't twig to what I'm doing," Allina allowed. "If they update their shields, probably not, but..." she almost said she thought she could get a signal out through the monitoring cameras and microphones, but was not sure how sensitive those microphones were. Her side of the conversation had been entirely whispered into the muffling surface of her pillow, but there were microphones that could detect and distinguish even that slight sound. "I'm not sure how close they're monitoring me. I just got this ridiculous list of rules and regs and threats and I'm on short rations already. Seems I spent too much time hanging around Laura recently, I've picked up her bad habits without her ability to avoid pissing people off."

"All right," Shamal said, voice firming with resolve, "we'll see if we can't get local assistance for the trace, Noriko's family is already involved. Call back in... an hour. Is the number you're using real?"

"Witch-woman came in with a cell phone, 's how I figured out this trick. I'm faking the signal from her phone, since I slagged hers, so best I can say is I hope it's her number. I don't have a real computer here, so I'm kinda faking everything as I go along."

"We'll have to chance it and hope," Shamal said, "For now, play along with them, Allina, do what they tell you. Don't try to escape, don't fight them, just play along. We're planning how to get you out now, it should only be a day or two."

"Was anyone else taken?"

Shamal hesitated, then told her, "Cid-chan and Mariachi. Everyone else is safe here at the Academy. We even have a lot of prisoners."

Allina made a face at that, "Great, so I'm one of the only screw-ups."

"NO! Don't ever think that, Allina," Shamal was quite firm about that, "you _did not _'screw up'. You did everything exactly right, and you got 'Jana clear. You just had the bad luck to be outnumbered and out-planned. Relax now, Allina, rest. Call back in an hour, we'll try to trace your location."

"All right," Allina agreed, still debating whether or not she had made a mistake. _Should've reacted faster,_ she determined, but only said, "I'll call back in an hour."

------------------------------

Signum woke with a jerk, years of trained instincts locked onto a last memory of fleeing danger, but no memory of escaping it. She was halfway vertical when a small pale hand caught her chest, a moment later the other going behind her back in support. "Relax, Signum-san," she heard, recognizing the voice a moment later as Nanoha, "Hayate-chan's safe."

The sudden cessation of adrenalin left her slumping, muscles quivering with the sudden changes. Rolling her head sideways, she took a moment to study Nanoha's reassuring smile. Finding her throat bone dry, croaked out, "where?"

Nanoha shifted onto the bed and behind her, supporting her, then leaned out slightly and pulled the curtain Signum had not noticed back. When it slid back, it revealed one of _Asura_'s recovery rooms, eight beds arranged four to a side, separated by curtains and monitoring gear. Most were empty, curtains drawn back, but Hayate lay in the next bed, eyes closed and unmoving. Signum felt a moment's fear, but forced herself to check the display above Hayate's head, reading her vitals quickly, seeing everything normal. _Thank all the gods,_ she thought. Then she nodded her head, letting herself fall back again.

Nanoha held her lay back, then counter-acted that by raising the head of the bed until she was reclining, handing her a small glass of water. "Small sips," Nanoha ordered, "you've been unconscious for almost two days now."

"Kids? Others?" Signum had to ask that first, knowing what her second priority was. Nanoha frowned, a little look of displeasure, so she gave in and took a sip of water. It tasted like pure Heaven and felt like liquid perfection.

"The school was attacked, but no one was killed, and the only injuries were incurred by the attackers. Three of the kids were kidnapped – Allina, Mariachi and Cidela. Fate and Shamal are working on rescue plans as we speak, but we're having trouble locating two of them precisely. Rafiq says he can lead us straight to Cidela whenever we're ready, but Shamal wants to go for a simultaneous strike. She also wanted to give you and Hayate-chan a chance to participate."

"Foolish," Signum muttered, then grinned at Nanoha's renewed frown. _Apparently, I'm not supposed to talk until the glass is empty,_ she realized, and took another sip.

"Foolish or not, Doctor Siang gave you even odds of waking up last night. At the least, it was hoped you might know something about who or what attacked you, confirm directly that it was the same people who attacked the school."

"It was," Signum whispered, then shook the now empty cup before Nanoha could frown again. "No direct evidence, we never saw anyone, but it was their style. Sacrifice a few pawns for the big spell, but avoid dirtying their own hands."

"I've seen the null-space," Nanoha whispered, now staring at a wall as she remembered, "it was huge, one of the largest I've ever seen. How'd you escape it?"

"Akira." Nanoha flinched out of her reverie, gaze snapping around to stare in disbelief at Signum. Signum gave a sour chuckle, then explained, "It's the only thing I'll ever admit to owing the monster. He taught me to always have a teleport locked on Hayate, on a hair trigger, no matter what the circumstances. I was finishing it before Hayate finished saying my name."

"A hair-trigger teleport?" Nanoha actually managed to grin, "Does Hayate-chan know about it?"

"No," Signum said, frowning at Nanoha, "and she is not going to, either."

"What she doesn't know about she can't forbid?"

Signum maintained the frown for a few silent seconds, then turned back to gaze at her mistress again. "When will she wake?"

Nanoha sighed, "we don't know. You are suffering from straight exhaustion. Admittedly, almost enough to kill you, but still just exhaustion. Teleporting from that close to a forming null-space took more energy than I thought even a device could channel."

"Desperate times," Signum replied. "All things are possible, in the heat of the moment."

"Hai," Nanoha agreed, remembering a few of her own more dramatic moments. "Well, unfortunately, Hayate was injured by the formation of the null-space. Her linker core apparently reacted immediately to the dislocation, and was damaged." Nanoha gestured at the curtain to the next bed in line, "Takashi is there, he managed to repair the damage, though possibly not completely. He was not clear on that before he collapsed himself. That was this morning, a couple hours ago, just after I got back from Earth. Fate, Yuuno, Chrono and I have been taking it in turns to sit with the two of you."

"How long to Earth?"

"_Asura_ should arrive in orbit in a few hours. The prisoner transports are a few days behind us." Nanoha chuckled, drawing Signum's gaze back to her, and she gave an amused smile. "Those kids of yours are ridiculous. Fate-chan took an insane number of prisoners from these Circles, and she's holding them all on the campus until Bureau transport arrives. Thing is, your students keep trying to kidnap the prisoners, to 'ask them some friendly questions', Yussef keeps insisting. I understand they're getting very creative at bypassing Fate-chan's guards."

Signum could not help smiling at that as well. "Let them have a couple," she suggested. "They'll ask their questions, be very intimidating, work off some temper, but they won't do anything too drastic. Not even Yussef."

"Fate's already refused," Nanoha said, giving her a strange look, "but are you certain they would not? Niranjana in particular seemed to be quite viciously inclined until this morning."

Signum blinked at her, surprised, "Niranjana?" Then she nodded, "ah, Allina."

Nanoha nodded, "she called late last night, apparently she found a way to get her hands on a phone, though we can't trace it back to her. Vita-chan and Aria-san have managed to narrow down where she is, somewhere along the Ukraine-Russia border. Vita-chan also says she's found, through Asura's satellite hookups, a resonating shield that she _insists _is Mariachi, in central India."

"He's singing," Signum explained, "making music somehow. His own magic interacts with music, and he can cause shields to fluctuate along with the music. His experiments have been wearing workroom two's shields down faster than they should. I hadn't thought the effect would ever actually be useful."

"Well, we're not really certain, Vita's the only one who thinks it's Mariachi. But we're putting together an attack plan based on that, since we don't have any other leads at the moment."

Signum had spent a good part of the conversation, since being told of Takashi's presence, debating asking one thing. As Nanoha began describing what Shamal and Zafira had put together for an attack plan, Signum held up a hand to cut her off, asking softly, "Have you heard from Akira?"

"A... Akira? What are you..."

"You're not very good at faking ignorance, Nanoha," Signum told her, "and we've known for some months that Takashi re-created him. Since he is not here hovering over his master, I assume he is on Earth, 'investigating'. Have you heard from him?"

Nanoha waited a moment, obviously debating how to answer, then shrugged, "No, but we don't expect to, either. From what Shamal-san has told Fate-chan, it sounds like he won't report to anyone other than Takashi. He hasn't yet, so..."

"Typical," Signum muttered, thinking it over. _Akira is there, but he is pursuing his master's mission, not ours. He will not help retrieve the children, but he will disrupt and confuse the Circles. Will he kill any of them? Maybe, it depends on how angry Takashi was when he dispatched the monster. But he will not last long, only until Takashi wakes and he must return to report._ "Nanoha, tell Shamal to rescue the children soonest. I'm... going to be stuck here for days, as will Hayate-sama when she wakes up. Her priority is to get the kids as soon as possible, don't wait for me."

Nanoha nodded slowly, "all right, I've told her. She says she'll start putting things together. Now, I haven't seen any of you since I taught that lesson, so what've you and your kids been up to?"

Signum just cocked an eyebrow, "Shouldn't you be going to help?"

"I am helping," Nanoha said, "I'm finding out what all of you have done since I've been gone, and keeping your spirits up. It'll take Shamal a few hours to arrange everything, so I'll be back on Earth in plenty of time to help. But for now, no one's willing to tell me what those holy terrors of yours have been doing, not while they're around, and they're sticking to their teachers like glue at the moment. Since you can't run away from me, I'm going to find out now! So," she smiled, happily yet also scarily, "tell me everything!"

------------------------------

"Signum's orders are final, which means we do not wait any longer," Shamal told the gathered students, then looked up at Fate. "You agree to let us conduct the rescues?"

Fate nodded, "They are your students, and you have the bulk of the strength available to us. I have no problems with allowing you to conduct the rescues." That was as much for the recorders operating here in Fate's impromptu headquarters as for her immediate audience, satisfying the letter of Bureau regulations.

Shamal still returned the nod, "thank you, Admiral. In that case, children. We're going to split you up for this. Noriko, you and Niranjana will go with Fate to rescue Allina. She is your only objective, get to her and get out. Take her to the _Asura_." Noriko bowed, further than she should have, then took Niranjana's elbow and steered her over to Fate. Shamal turned slightly, "Yussef, you and everyone else except Allison and Noah will go with Aria, Lotte and Zafira to India, and rescue Mariachi. Again, your mission is just rescue, get Mariachi and return to _Asura_."

Juliet frowned, asking, "Why all of us after Mariachi, sensei?"

"Yussef's spells and abilities will enhance your effectiveness, just as they did during the battle here. He cannot do that at all three sites simultaneously. Also, between you, you can make up for the fact that there will only be one device mage in your force, though I still feel you should rely on cunning more than strength."

"We can manage it," Yussef reassured her seriously , "between Megan and I, we've got an idea." He grinned suddenly, "worked well enough against Fate-san's guards, once at least."

Shamal nodded, giving him a small smile, then turned to the last trio. "Laura, Allison, Noah. The three of you will come with Nanoha, Vita and I to western China. We have the hardest target, the greatest defenses, both magical and mundane, which is why so many of our device mages are in this group. Our mission is also more complicated. The prisoners we have are middle ranks, in the Circles, important in their own areas, but not to the Circles as a whole. There are two men, however, who will be at our target that we dearly wish to speak with. Thus, we have three objectives: Cid-chan," she paused, using a trace of magic to generate two illusory busts, "Master Adept Li Quan, and Adept Hassed Al Huri. These men are responsible for the trap Hayate-sama was caught in, and for the attack on the school. They are highly placed in the Circles, know more about its operations and personnel than anyone else we might be able to reach, and will be at the site, to keep an eye on their prize hostage."

Shamal looked the three again, frowning slightly to be sure they understood how serious she was being, "this is going to be the most dangerous part of this operation. Laura, you are coming strictly because of the extra power your Velka system gives you. Allison, you and Noah are along because, of all the students, you have between you the best offense and defense. The three of you are going to be support. Leave the heavy fighting to Nanoha, Vita and I. Get Cid-chan, keep her safe, and watch our backs."

To her surprise, Laura was quite serious, nodded calmly back, "Can do, Shamal-sensei. Do you want us to return immediately to _Asura_ with Cid-chan, or wait for everyone else?"

"Wait, please," Shamal told her, "we may need the extra strength. Now, each team leader has all the information we currently have on the target facilities, they are all very well defended. We have preliminary plans done, but I want each of you to take some time now to go over those plans, and begin to rework them for each team's differing abilities. It's early afternoon, now. We'll plan until dinner, get to sleep early, and strike as the sun rises, when their reactions will be slowest."

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Author's Notes: Despite topics of conversation and potential parallels, no political commentary is intended by this chapter (or any other). I prefer to keep my entertainment and my political views separate, and do a very good job (I disagree with any number of views already expressed in this story, for instance, including some of Hayate's), so please don't read any such commentary into this chapter. Any parallels with current events are coincidence enforced by plot advancement. The lyrics Mariachi sings are from _Lucky Ball and Chain_ which, along with the other songs mentioned, is property of They Might Be Giants, and whoever publishes their music.

------------------------------

seaotter: Yes, the Circle's plan failed rather spectacularly. Knowledge is power, and the higher Circles are holding on to it tight, but there's more to the Circles that has yet to be revealed. Soldier of Heaven isn't as taxing as you might think – the armor it provides is only about fifty to seventy-five percent the strength of a device's real armor, and even that armor does not seem to draw much power (based on the show). As for the other two you mentioned, I already answered those questions, but the short answer is 'yes', Laura is a fan of Quantum Physics, and all of Noriko's variations of Cascade of Spring's Glory are based on Byakua's Senbonzakura. I'm glad you're enjoying this, keep reading as there's more to come.

Eagle8819: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like my story. The plot is a little convoluted, but I do try to keep things consistent. Colonel Hughes involvement was a running debate, both whether or not he was Circle, and which side he would come down on. But having him against the attack lets me make things more complicated. I'm afraid Hayate still hasn't woken up, but here's Signum's reaction. Marcel's comment to Noriko's father was a shot in the dark. How else can one of her classmates prove who they are over an unsecure phone, but through one of the biggest secrets on campus? I know I didn't include a scene in chapter 19 of Noriko's vacation, but it's safe to assume she showed her parents her final project, Senbonzakura's joined fans.

CrimsonDX: David Eddings is good at dialogue, and I've always enjoyed reading his stories for that reason. I read his books when I was young enough that I picked up some of the same habits (even speaking in real-life, which confuses my friends and co-workers no end). Laura's entrance was supposed to be the most dramatic, since she's the raging extrovert of the class. Also, writing that scene was a blast.

Kell Shock: I'd say Yussef had a huge roll – the entire counter-strike was his plan, and were it not for Fate's intervention, he'd have been perfectly placed to get Cidela back immediately. I've been calling Laura the Quantum Knight in my head since about chapter three, when I decided she'd have a Velka device, since all Velka users are Knights (I believe _instead _of being mages?). The JSDF has a role to play, it's just no a real big one (yay for crowd control!), and yes, Juliet's quite dangerous in group combat, though in one-on-one and without surprise on her side, it probably would've gone differently. The rescues are being planned, no comment as to how they're affected, at least until those chapters come out. Hughes' part is still in flux, until I figure out just what Akira's doing during all this:).

TheWhiteMonk: The campus attack was supposed to be one of the most intense parts of the story. There will be a final resolution, but I'm still trying to decide how to play it (mostly debating exactly how far Hayate's going to go in chastising the Circles).

ariel stormcloud: Thank's for the compliment!

Sheo Darren: It seems to me that the older and more experienced people get, the more droll they become. And Marcel's French, which means European, and all Europeans (at least, all those I've met:) have a similar sense of humor. Laura was definitely hamming it up, but she was also quite serious – she's very powerful for her age, and she does think little of the Circle's individual abilities. I'm glad I can still surprise some of you, like with the good colonel. Glad you liked Laura's entrance, glad you're enjoying the show. Thanks for reviewing!

HoagieOfDoom: Akira's violent and dangerous, but remember, he's not just here to kill, he has a _mission_, and he's always (even in PoV) been willing to go to any lengths for his mission, not just for fun. Also, the story's not really about him, he's just a convenient route to get certain pieces of information to Hayate and company. The good Colonel's roll is yet to be revealed, though he does have one.

SpaceBrotha: Glad you liked it, enjoying it enough to spend two days reading them? That's a major compliment. I'm afraid I don't and won't have a set schedule – Writing for me is a matter of inspiration and time. The last couple chapters, I had solid ideas going into them of exactly what would happen, and about a week off from work. This chapter I had a fair idea, but nothing specific, and no time off from work, along with good ideas for three other stories, hence the delay. Sorry, but, c'est la vie.

Leaf: Thanks for reviewing. I'm not entirely certain, but I believe you were questioning Cidela's motivations? She's an archetypal heroic healer. There are people out there just as unselfish, even in the real world. The most obvious is Mother Theresa, but there are others – your average volunteer soldier, volunteer firefighter, rescue personnel. I admit, I couldn't do it, but there are those who can.


	24. 24 By Hook & By Crook

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 24 – By Hook & By Crook -

Megan froze as the steel gate clanged loudly before it jerked into motion, two halves separating with a remarkably smooth motion. The squeak of poorly oiled wheels and guide-rails was still loud in her ears, enough to make her cringe in the shadow of the wall. Her small pointed black ears flattened uncontrollably at the high-pitched noise. She was only a meter or so from the gate itself, and just the few centimeters of concrete wall separated her from the gate's track.

She was a little embarrassed to be in this form, Siamese cats having always seemed sinister to her and also ridiculous compared to her liger form, but Aria and Lotte had been correct in how easily it could pass through this terrain. She had prowled several blocks through an area that was surprisingly active, given the pre-dawn hour, and no one had taken any notice of her. She had been severely tempted to steal a couple shiny objects, to scare a few sleeping workers, and generally raise some havoc, but had kept herself in check with thoughts of Mariachi trapped by the Circles.

From this close, the compound was frighteningly well-defended. It covered a full city block in New Delhi, one large four-story building with three smaller ones arranged around a covered courtyard. The only ways in were by gates, one vehicle-sized and two human-sized, blocked by steel doors, and the concrete wall was three meters high and watched by cameras. Even more frightening, she had already passed over one set of wards, by very carefully using _no_ magic other than her shape-shift. Unlike those at the Academy, the compound's outer wards were not set to trigger on an animal's passage, and she qualified, at least by the wards' limited faculties.

Now, however, she was facing a more complicated problem. The wall incorporated some very strong wards of its own, powerful defenses that would probably be triggered if she crossed them, and would certainly go off if Lotte, a few paces behind Megan, tried to do so. Hence her position at the gate. She had hoped for an opening, at least, as the wall was too tall for her to jump, and there were no overhanging trees this deep in the city. Standing by the open gates, however, she could sense an opening in the wards, a weakening that might be enough for the two scouts to sneak through – except there were several people about, and a small truck waiting to exit.

_Go for it,_ Lotte ordered as the truck rumbled slowly through, _once the truck is past. It will be too dark for them to see, if you're quick._

_Straight across,_ Megan sent back, _it'll be faster, the turn would be too tight, we'd wind up sitting still for a second._

She felt Lotte's presence close up behind her, hearing just the barest whisper of fur on concrete, _Works for me. It'll also give us a better chance to break off if the wards trigger. Now!_

Megan bolted, skirting just past the rear tire of the truck, a mad scrabble of claws on pavement. There was a shout behind her, but none of the wards triggered, and she barreled under a bush lining the wall, then kept going. A second later, the wards triggered for true, magical alarms suddenly shrieking and shields phasing into being on and above the compound wall.

_The wards triggered on me,_ Lotte told her, mental voice fast and tight with physical adrenaline, _had to break off. I'm still outside._

_Should I try and get out again, or carry on?_

_Carry on,_ Lotte ordered, _I'll try to play distraction._ _With just a little luck, they'll think I'm some mage-beast that got distracted from its mission to get some dinner. Be careful, and remember, activate the beacon the instant you're made._

Megan reached the end of the line of bushes, and paused for a second, trying to catch her breath. The one disadvantage of the cat form, and the reason she really preferred to go wolf, was the small lungs, which made sprinting easy but tiring. As she waited, she could hear a commotion at the gate, more commotion from inside the buildings, and someone walking along the bushes, slowly. She slunk out, just enough to see, and there was a man in guard uniform crawling along, crouched down shining a light beneath the bushes.

Looking further out, she found herself next to one of the smaller buildings, just a couple meters in from the wall. The corridor between building and wall turned ninety degrees where she was, maintaining an even spacing between the two, and there were no doors in either wall. The windows in view were large, but screened on the outside, set to slide vertically in their frames, and thus not an option for entrance.

The guard was getting too close, so she bolted, as quietly as she could, and apparently quietly enough, as he did not look up. Once past the corner, she slid over to run along the building, instead of the compound wall, not stopping again until she was at the next corner. This one gave her a partial view into the courtyard beneath the second-story awning that covered it, and along the front of the larger building. She finally found doors, two of them leading into the main building, but both were guarded. As she watched, a guard from the gate she had entered by trotted up to one, presented his identification and was verified by magic before the guard at the door allowed him entrance.

_I'm not going to be able to get in,_ she decided, _which means I have to set the beacon up out here somewhere._

That was her part in tonight's mission, opening the door. Yussef and the rest were waiting aboard the _Asura_, but their target had proven, on careful scanning, to possess a weaker version of the Academy's teleport-block. It covered a smaller area and had less power, but it was significantly older and more stable, making it almost as difficult to penetrate, and crossing the distance it protected would have cost them precious seconds. In the interests of speed and concentration of forces, Zafira and Yussef had come up with the crazy idea of Megan infiltrating the compound, getting as close to Mariachi as possible, then setting up a Bureau-issue beacon and teleporting the entire team, in one shot, right inside the compound. That would bypass not only the teleport barrier, but most of the compound's wards. After that, surprise and speed would be their best allies, until they could retrieve Mariachi and either return to the beacon, or get out of the compound completely.

There were several problems with the plan, however. The most glaring was that, to remain unnoticed, she could not use magic, which left her stuck in cat-form until she was ready to activate the beacon. Problem number two was that, whenever she did shift back, she would probably set off every alarm in the place, and the Circles had to have some sort of response team ready. While that team might be distracted by Lotte's antics, they probably would not be, which meant she would have seconds, at best, to get the beacon up. Now, there was a third problem, that she was going to get no closer to Mariachi, wherever in the compound he was, and the only place she could see that was big enough for the entire team was the courtyard itself.

A sound behind her drew her attention, and she found the guard that had been looking for her was still following, now around the corner and shining his flashlight everywhere. _Time to move,_ she decided, and continued along the compound wall, hoping for a rear entrance. What she got instead was a fire-escape, heading up the side of the main building, all the way to the roof.

It was a ladder, which her cat form had some distinct problems with, but it was also in surprisingly good shape, only a little rusted and still protected by rubber non-skid on the rungs. She managed to get up it, far enough ahead of the searching guard for him to miss her, at least. He was being remarkably persistent, but did not even glance at the ladder, just kept walking past beneath her, flashlight swinging.

She reached the roof ten minutes later, panting with exertion but finally there, hauling herself over the edge and dropping right there to lay against the raised edge. It took her another few minutes to get her breath back, and look around. As from the satellite photos, provided by Subaru, there were several air conditioning units, and a single door. There were more wards up here as well, but they were quiescent, so she did her best to ignore them. Even if they triggered on her presence, she should still have time to get the beacon up, as there was not enough power stored in the wards to do more than hurt her.

Once she was certain she was alone, she entered a trance and stretched her mind. Reaching a few meters was easy, but sending a telepathic signal into high orbit was significantly harder, however much all her teachers insisted it would become easier with time. _Yussef? I'm on the roof of the main building. Sorry, it's the best I could do. All the doors are manned, and I was being pursued._

_We've got you on the screens here, _Yussef replied, sounding both amused and impatient. _The roof will do, you're still inside their first layer of defenses. I'll warn the others to be ready, pop the beacon as soon as you can._

Megan nodded, finding it amusing that he would probably see the gesture despite their lack of physical proximity. Then she slipped out of her trance, took a deep breath, and shifted. She, Lotte and Zafira had debated how to go about exact moment several times. Lotte had thought she was good enough to shift slowly, using the absolute minimum energy necessary to alter her form, and thus staying below the wards' trigger thresholds. Zafira (and Megan, to be honest) had thought even that little bit of power would trigger the wards, and that a 'crash shift', as fast as she could manage, would be her best bet – get it done as fast as possible to maximize her time between discovery and response. Since she was not as far in as she had hoped, and was quite literally on top of some of the wards, her loyalty to Lotte was not nearly enough to convince her to use the 'slow and subtle' route.

She managed to best her own shift time, though she had no way of knowing, for a human mind cannot accurately count fractions of a second. The total shift took less than a second, which was all she cared about, from cat to human. The beacon was hanging from a strap across her torso, shoulder to hip, and she shrugged out of it even as the wards around her seemed to explode. None of them tried to harm her, fortunately, but it was blindingly obvious that every magically sensitive individual within kilometers now knew she was here.

Moving as fast as she could, she shrugged the strap over her head, dumping the beacon on the ground. It consisted of a pair of truncated cones, bases joined by a narrower cylinder of components. One end had a large button, the other a retracted spike. She set the spike end on the roof, then slammed her fist down on the button. The entire assembly jumped as a heavy crunch sounded below, the spike driving through the roof and anchoring the beacon in place. Then the two cones telescoped apart slightly, the upper cone extending three antennae straight up from its tip. There was a single audible beep, then a faint wash of magic, and Megan relaxed slightly. The most dangerous part of the entire mission, at least in her mind, was now over and done with.

The beacon she had triggered was the latest generation of one of the Bureau's oldest tools. It was rarely used, for the Bureau was more often interested in creating barriers than breaching them. Even when the Bureau did need to breech a barrier, it was usually difficult to impossible to get the beacon through. But once in place and activated, the simple-minded machine created a signal that would carry through all but the strongest barriers, coded specifically to the ship it was deployed from, and continued to broadcast that signal until shut off or destroyed. The signal was what made the whole thing dangerous, giving the deploying ship a route through whatever barrier the beacon bypassed, allowing the ship's mages to preserve their energies for their real opponents.

Not two seconds later, there was a flash of blue light on the roof next to Megan, spreading out into a massive ring of sigils and runes. A second ring separated from the first, rising to almost three meters in height, leaving eight figures behind. A moment later, a white circle repeated the process as Lotte teleported in to join them.

"Hey, Yu-chan," Megan called out lazily, "what kept you?" Most of the others at last smiled, Luke actually chuckled. Yussef turned to frown at her, but before he could say anything she continued, "What? Someone's gotta fill in for Laura."

"No, actually, you don't," he replied, gesturing at his ear, "she's still insulting me from thousands of kilometers away."

"Be on guard," Zafira ordered, "this is not a game."

"He's below us," Lotte told them, "straight down, roughly, but underground."

"Yussef," Zafira ordered, lifting up to float just above the roof, "Lotte, Aria and I will keep them busy up here, the rest of you get down there."

"Yes, sir," Yussef answered, then gestured to everyone to get off the roof.

Megan took the opportunity to glance down as she took to the air as well. Below her, windows were being thrown open with people leaning out, while others boiled out of the buildings at ground level like ants out of a kicked-over hill. She could sense powerful magics waking beneath her, old spells not called upon in years slowly bestirring themselves, and mages actively drawing in power.

"Buster Cannon... Full Charge," Yussef's voice rang out behind her, and the spell caused her eyes to widen. She spun around, to see him some ten meters higher, Zulfiqar crackling with power but aimed straight down. Even as she hastily got out of the way, the crackling streamers of power grew larger and more frequent until the entire blade seemed to glowing.

When he finally loosed the blast, it was easily four meters wide, a ravening column of destruction that slammed into the building like the fist of an angry god, punching through the roof, and the floors below. From her vantage point above and to one side, Megan saw every window in the building not already open explode outward, driven by the blast's concussion. Overwhelmed by the sheer power, all she could think was, _well, that's one way to open the door._

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The quaking of the entire building, followed not a minute later by the muffled sound of sirens, jerked Mariachi out of his nap. He had to pause in his singing frequently, or push his voice too far. Singing was not his usual form of music, though he could manage fairly well, but he knew enough not to try to sing continuously. Also, he had no idea how long he had been in this room, as the lights never dimmed, and all the meals were the same, so he tried to be conservative. That lack of time sense also meant he spent quite a lot time dozing, instead of getting any actual sleep.

The shields on the room proved to be more susceptible to the degradation his music-magic induced in static shields, but were so old and stable that they were taking a very long time to collapse. At first, that concerned him, since his initial plan for escape had consisted of bringing those shields down with the music-magic then trying to get out in the hopefully-resultant confusion. As time progressed, however, he realized that he was not going to be able to get out on his own, so he had turned his attention, what was not directed to annoying his captors, to weakening the shields to allow his inevitable rescuers to reach him more easily.

At first, he thought the shaking of the walls was an earthquake, something he was quite familiar with from Mexico. But it was accompanied by a sense of magical power strong enough to reach even through the shields on his prison, and he quickly realized it was his teachers coming to rescue him. But whatever it was had hit the building with tremendous force, and he had no doubt that, had his room been in its path, he would, at best, be picking his way out of rubble. "What did they do," he muttered, "send Laura after me with a free-fire license?"

The door opened not two minutes later, and Sayed entered the room. The man had been back twice, since Mariachi first got rid of him, and had proven more resistant to Mariachi's attempts to annoy him into leaving. His third visit had included a rather unsubtle threat to resort to restraints to get Mariachi to stop singing. This time, he came in with a pistol in one hand, and a set of hand-cuffs covered in runes in the other. "Put these on," the man ordered, tossing the cuffs on the bed where Mariachi was sitting, "we're leaving, in case those heretics manage to get through our protectors."

Mariachi looked at the cuffs, then at the pistol. It was oddly built, very bulky for its length and no bore, just a pair of metal studs. He almost decided it was some sort of magic gun, but realized there was a simpler explanation. _That's what hit me second at the school,_ he realized, _another tazer._ Looking up at Sayed, he shook his head, slamming a shield into place about himself. "I think it's more in my interest to see who's got you running like a rat out of a burning barn. I'll stick around, thanks."

Sayed frowned, then held up a glowing hand and pressed it against Mariachi's shield. The Mexican felt the shield shiver and begin to weaken, and thought fast. From the concentrated frown on his face, Sayed would need a moment to recover once the shield collapsed, before he could do anything else, but so would Mariachi. The only option he could come up with was trying to set up a counter-spell now, while maintaining the shield, but... multi-tasking spells was difficult at the best of times, with minimal energies involved. The only ones in the class who had managed it on any major scale were Yussef, Noriko and Laura, and that only with their devices to take the strain.

_Desperate times call for desperate measures,_ he decided, and began struggling to build an attack spell. He did not bother with subtlety or trying to hide what he was doing, only to maintain his shield and build the attack. Sayed's eyes widened slightly as he obviously felt the spell building, but Mariachi ignored him, having his hands full with his two spells. Dividing his attention proved just as difficult as before, and he could feel the shield destabilizing, while the attack spell took too long to stabilize. Power was part of the answer, pouring more of it into both spells, but that carried its own risks, bringing him frighteningly close to the limit of his control.

The shield collapsed, in a shower of sparks and less-visible energies, and both of them staggered, Sayed from surprise, Mariachi from pain. The backlash headache, like a spike in his temple, was almost enough to make him loose the spell, but in that split second he was no longer distracted, and his attack spell finished. Sayed's tazer came up and around again, lining up just as Mariachi unleashed the power he had built, shouting, "Cacophony!"

The spell took his voice, and amplified it, modulated it, creating a recurring pattern of discordant echoes that quickly squealed up through human tolerances to reach ear-shattering levels. Prepared for it, and at its center, Mariachi was spared more than a painful amplification of his headache. As the focus of the effect, Sayed collapsed, dropping the tazer in favor of covering his ears, trying to shout something over the thunderous discord, but Mariachi could not hear what.

The spell only lasted a few seconds, before fading rapidly to a background ringing, but Sayed was down for the count, moaning on the floor, hands still over his ears. Mariachi slid off the bed, careful to avoid the cuffs in case they reacted to just being handled, and scooped up the tazer. He had no doubt the incident had been observed, which was why he had not tried it before, but he figured that anyone who might have responded previously would be a little busy with Laura and company.

He tried the door, and found it still locked, despite the disturbance above. So instead of continuing his escape attempt, he settled for securing his current position. It had worked in the Tactics class, after a fashion... once. After his partner of the day, Shirou, had been eliminated by Luke and Marcel, he had 'dug in', using obstacles as shields instead of creating his own, and he had managed to lure both Luke and Marcel into exposing themselves. Now, he settled for ripping the sheets off the bed, using them to wrap up Sayed, then dragged the man to the far side of the bed. A little creative violence against the bed frame dropped it to the floor, and he crouched behind that, with his prisoner between him and the door.

He did not have to wait long. The shields muffled the magic, but he could still sense spells flying out there, and part of him was just as glad the door had remained locked. Whatever was happening, he figured there would be a good chance of getting caught in 'friendly fire' if he was out and about. But not five minutes after he disabled Sayed, as the man was starting to get himself under control again, the shields shivered, then collapsed, and the door opened.

The figure that appeared in the door was not who Mariachi had expected, but was welcome nonetheless. "Luke! Damn it's good to see you," he said fervently with a smile, dropping Sayed in favor of climbing over him to the door. He froze, however, taking in the second figure in the door, a gray-furred wolf, looking at him with yellow eyes, ears perked up, head cocked to one side. "Uh, what's..."

"Hey, Mariachi," Luke answered him. The older boy reached over his shoulder to un-sling something, while explaining, "The puppy dog's Megan. Silly sheila learned to shape-shift and didn't tell anyone until the attack. Here, you forgot to pack this."

Held forth in Luke's hands was Mariachi's guitar. Mariachi pocketed the tazer hastily, but reached more slowly to take the instrument running a hand over the sound-box briefly before throwing the sling over his head and settling it in place. Luke chuckled a little, "Mate, that's gotta be the silliest thing I've ever seen. Stupid Mexican, what're you thinking heading into a mage-fight with a silly bit of wood and wire?"

Taking the good-natured insult in stride, he shot back, "I'm thinking I can get off a nasty Cacophony with this thing, you stupid Aussie, that's what."

_Boys, can you please stop posturing and get moving? _ The sound in his head was a surprise, but he recognized Megan's voice after a moment, and glanced down at the wolf, who was now in the hall, glaring down it. _Whatever Yussef's fighting has friends, and one of them's heading this way. The others will need us._

He and Luke shared a look, then Mariachi said, "You take defense, I'll cover offense?"

Luke nodded, "Just don't forget Meg, here. She's got a bad habit of putting on weight without warning." Megan's head whipped around, and she growled at Luke, curled lips baring an impressive set of fangs, but Luke just chuckled again, and stepped back into the hall. "Head left," he said, "the others are holding the lift for us."

Following the directions, Mariachi began picking out a tune, simple but fast, and smiled in anticipation as his magic reacted and began forming to match his music and his will. He would not have much direct part in this battle, but no one would be able to say he played no part.

"Don't recognize that one," Luke said, walking backwards down the hall behind him

"From one of Toushiro's games," Mariachi replied, "Metal Gear something-or-other. Fight music, feels appropriate to the situation. You guys were looking a little ragged, this'll help pick you up. And scare the crap outta the locals."

------------------------------

Yussef stared at the two men across from him, surprised and worried that they were still standing. They had struck at the first subterranean level, as he and his classmates started down the lift shaft his strike had torn open. Yussef had sensed their arrival in time to shield the shaft, and sent the others ahead to get Mariachi, but he had expected to be only moments behind them. Now it was several _minutes_, and he was still faced with these same two men.

At first, he had kept things simple, a few basic busters to try and drive them off, but they had shrugged the blasts aside with shields he would have expected from one of his teachers. They had countered with attacks of their own on the same scale, though not as complex as what Vita and Signum had demonstrated. While he had been trying not to hurt anyone more than necessary, they had obviously felt no such compunctions, and his surprise had been so complete that only Shield of Faith had preserved him.

The amount of energy they were channeling should have burned them out from the first attack. Their shields, their follow-up strikes, the fact that they were both floating a good ten centimeters off the floor and dodging in three dimensions... all should have been beyond their capabilities, as it was patently obvious they had no devices of their own. Yet they were both standing, both still apparently fully functional, and both patently possessed of enough magical strength to challenge he and Zulfiqar.

"You guys are breaking the rules," he rumbled. "Why aren't you both burned out or worse?"

One, the one who had been most aggressive, sneered, "foolish heretic, we learned long ago how to deal with monsters such as you."

The man's hand came up, charging with power, and Yussef slammed a shield into place just into time to deflect the attack into the ceiling. His own counter, a short-charge Buster Cannon, was absorbed by a shield, but this time he caught the pattern of energies forming, and traced it back to the second mage. _Oh, now that's __cheating_ he decided, _using my own tactics against me._ But he had not only taught those tactics, he had trained against them, and these men, for all their power, appeared to share the limitation he was familiar with of holding a single spell at a time. _The secret is the shield,_ he reminded himself, _take down whoever's generating that, and whoever's left has to switch to defense._

He threw up a Bulwark, blocking the entire chamber, to match the one he had been maintaining behind his position to block the lift shaft. That gave him a pocket of room to work with, space to think and build. The scale and power of the Bulwark gave his opponents pause, and they backed off a moment to study the shield themselves. While they waited, he plotted and planned.

_I'm going to have to be fast and subtle,_ he knew. _It may be my tactics, but these guys have obviously been training at it longer than I have. They'll hit the Bulwark twice with one, then they'll both hit it. That's when I counter, but how fast can they switch from strike to shield? Buster Canon takes too long, none of my other attacks will even scratch their shields..._

The expected double-strike came, slamming into the Bulwark with enough power to make it shudder, and he could tell it would absorb, at best, one more such attack. Which was right behind the first double, shattering his Bulwark. He could feel the backlash of the broken spell, but Zulfiqar took the brunt of that easily, dissipating the excess energies rapidly.

Yussef had that bare moment between strikes to come up with something, and reached in desperation for a spell he had only seen a few times, and never actually been shown. Even as the Bulwark shattered, he snapped Zulfiqar straight up, aiming at the further of the two men, and poured energy into the spell, shouting, "Zipper, Fire!" It was the fastest spell he knew, both in time to create and time to target, even if the ditz had come up with it.

He had not even finished saying it when the spell exploded against another shield, a personal one, that flickered and died under the onslaught. A second shot with the same spell, however, met a new shield, one stronger and blatantly formed by the other mage to protect the both of them. Yussef snarled, realizing he had failed to account for personal protections, and slammed another Bulwark across the chamber.

They varied the pattern, this time. No double-strike came, just a series of progressively more powerful attacks from the leader of the pair. Twice more Yussef tried to surprise them by dropping the Bulwark for a counter attack, or shaping it to block them off from one another, but one of them was always maintaining a shield of their own now, and he could not force an attack or Bulwark through it. It was a frustrating, draining battle, and he could tell they were winning it. Wherever their power was coming from, they were two to his one, and better able to last out the stale-mate.

A commotion behind him distracted him from planning his fourth attempt, and what he saw nearly sent him limp with relief. Floating in the lift shaft, just visible through the Bulwark, were the rest of his team, Mariachi with them. Marcel's voice came to him a moment later, "we got him, boss. What say we take a stroll on out of here and go see if Zafira-sensei and the others are done playing upstairs?"

Chuckling at the easy-going tone, Yussef formed the communications spell and replied, "go ahead, I'll catch up. Someone has to keep these bastards busy."

"Let me through," Natalia said, "I've got an idea."

She was standing on the little bit of floor not closed off by his Bulwark, Ichigo floating right behind her, staring at him with her weird multi-color gaze, and he realized the tattoo beneath her left eye was glowing green. Yussef looked up at Ichigo, who nodded slowly. "All right, Natalia, but make it fast."

He had to drop the Bulwark completely – he had yet to determine if it was possible to create any portals through it – then reformed it immediately once the pair was out, shaping it to seal the lift shaft below this floor as well. While Natalia and Ichigo walked towards him, he asked Marcel, "Any trouble below?"

"One of these jokers," Marcel told him, "but flying solo. We managed to mouse-trap him. Got him set on offense, then Natalia distracted him and we let Juliet loose. She worked out some issues, Mariachi said 'hi', and we buggered out for here."

Accepting the cavalier report, Yussef ordered, "get moving, we'll be right behind." Then he turned to Natalia, giving her a considering look. He could tell she was tired, and asked, "You up for this?"

She smiled, that creepy knowing smile she had picked up over winter break. "Not my time, Yussef," she answered him, "I can handle this."

"Do your thing," he said, turning back to his opponents, "Bulwark in the way?"  
"No shield can stop what I am going to do to them," she reminded him with a breathy laugh, then turned her attention to the enemies, "so long as they can hear me?"

Yussef stared at her for a moment, then looked at Ichigo, ordering, "Shield her." Ichigo nodded, and once his shield was in place, Yussef dropped the Bulwark.

The two Circle mages hesitated, still evaluating how Natalia and Ichigo changed the equation, but she acted before they could make any decisions. "I can see your deaths," she told them in an amused tone, "clear as day. Would you like to know how long you have left?"

The foremost snorted, "Please, girl, you're not going to intimidate us. We are prepared to lay down our lives for our Circles."

"You will die in eight years," she replied, still smiling, left eye now glowing a white counterpoint to her green tattoo, "a quiet death, upon full expression of your life." She turned away from him, focusing on the second, and her smile became pitying, "You will not last out the year, though you will leave this place alive. You also will not see the birth of your second child."

The second mage stared at her with eyes that slowly widened, horror obvious in his every line. Yussef barely noticed, save for the opening it presented. While he was staring in shock at Natalia, he was not defending, causing the shield warding the pair to falter and fade. Yussef saw the opening, and attacked. A Zipper into the lead mage once again hit a personal shield, but this time there was no spell following it. Yussef leapt into the fray himself, swinging Zulfiqar through a long powerful arc. That arc intersected the lead mage, and should have cut him near in half, regardless of what Natalia saw. But the mage managed, just barely, to reform his personal shield in time to take the strike. Instead of being seriously injured, the impact and accompanying pulse of raw power launched him sideways across the chamber, blasting him through the chamber's wall.

That was enough to bring Natalia's victim around, but Yussef was still charging. Taking a page from Vita's demonstrations, he continued the spin begun by his strike against the first mage, sending Zulfiqar up and over as he continued his clockwise rotation. Shooting forward as fast as Desert Wind would let him, he brought the massive blade down. Once again, his target had time to prepare, and was somewhat more adept. The shield that stopped Zulfiqar's downward arc was barely the size of his torso, guided by the mage's hand. It was still enough to stop deflect Yussef's strike, the energy release shattering the shield but also blasting Yussef back.

Recovering his balance, Yussef dropped the last Bulwark, and shouted over his shoulder, "Ichigo, get her out of here!" Then he turned back, and lunged again. The mage reacted well, a smaller more concentrated shield that floated before his hand, deflecting Yussef's strike. That deflection left it out of position as Yussef's right hand came free, and he fired a Zipper from the open palm. That sent the man tumbling away with a muffled grunt, and Yussef used the opportunity to turn and bolt for the lift shaft.

Ichigo and Natalia were still there, just getting ready to take to the air, but he was moving far faster than they were. He flipped Zulfiqar into the air, feeling it pull itself to rest on his back by sheer power, freeing up his hands. He barely slowed as he grabbed Natalia and Ichigo by the collars of their jackets, unceremoniously jerking the two into the air behind him. Their different weights threw off his balance, as did their surprised struggles, but he did his best to ignore both, hauling them into a climbing spiral up the lift shaft. Mage-bolts detonating in the corridor below them stilled the protests, and he felt Ichigo and Natalia both forming shields behind them, relatively small affairs that would stay with them but still protect.

The channel from his initial Buster Cannon had just kissed the lift shaft, so it was a simple matter to arc his flight path a little, and seconds later they exploded into the lightening sky. Worried more about pursuit than anything else, he used momentum to sling Ichigo and Natalia into the air, even as he slowed. The toss brought his arms up and over, and he grabbed Zulfiqar's handle, whipping it up and over his head. Even as he did that, he called out, "Buster Cannon... Full Charge!"

His first strike had been carefully calibrated and controlled, despite the power put into it. They knew Mariachi was underground, so he had made absolutely certain that none of that first strike would go below ground level. All he had really been trying for was a fast way in and as much confusion as possible. This time, though, he was out for destruction, plain and simple. He had enough time as the charge built to see Zafira, Lotte and Aria facing off against three more mages, to see a flicker of movement and power coming up the shaft in pursuit. Then Zulfiqar chimed in his head, he swung the blade straight down again, and ordered, "Fire!"

The ravenous bolt of power was narrower this time, screaming straight down the shaft left by Yussef's opening strike. It struck the ancient protections on the subterranean floors and for a bare second, they held, absorbing and reflecting the energy. But they had been built by mortal hands and powered by mortal magic, and for all their age-induced power, they could not stand fully against the precision and power channeled through Zulfiqar. The massive shot blasted through those protections and into the basement levels, piercing to bedrock, and liberating the rest of its energy there in a titanic explosion muffled by distance and the intervening levels.

"Yussef!" The shout caused him to look up from the smoking hole in the ground, to find Zafira still sparring with an opponent, "It's time to go! We'll clear the teleport barrier at four hundred meters!"

"Roger that," Yussef shouted back, then snap-shot a Zipper at Zafira's opponent. The mage fell back, and the two of them, the last Academy people left in the air, used that opening to bolt, flying straight up at best speed. Yussef, with Zulfiqar in support, could manage better speed than his teacher, but held off in favor of sending more small shots, a mix of Zippers and short-charge Buster Cannons, after their pursuer and into the compound generally. Just as they crossed four hundred meters, with no warning whatsoever, he felt the teleport take hold, and a moment later staggered to a stop just shy of the ceiling of _Asura_'s transfer bay.

The others were gathered around the perimeter of the bay, clear of the ship's teleport rings, but still in the room. They looked exhausted, and as he headed over to Mariachi, Yussef realized he felt the same way. The drawn out duel in that subterranean chamber, combined with two full-power Buster Cannons and the wild flights, had drained him far more than any of his classes, or even the battle at the campus. But he still had work to do, so he covered the tiredness as best he could.

"Mariachi," He said as he closed the distance, reaching out to clap his friend on the shoulder with his free left hand. "You all right? They didn't do anything too violent, did they?"  
Mariachi grinned back, reaching out with his right arm to clasp Yussef's shoulder in turn. "Nah, man. If anything, I got rough with them. You have any idea what twenty plus hours of _They Might Be Giants_ is like? Man, if I never hear another one of their songs, I'll die happy."

Everyone chuckled, and Yussef took another second to look him in the eyes, just to be certain. Then the medic was pushing him aside and dragging Mariachi off for an official check-up. One of the Bureau mages tapped him on the shoulder. "Al-Khan-san? Commander Rondo wants you on the bridge."

He nodded, and followed along, making visual check with each of his classmates as he went. Each of them nodded or waved back, reassurance that they were fine. There were a few scorches, some cuts and bruises, especially on Megan, but nothing that looked serious. Then he and Zafira were in a corridor, and he lost sight of them.

"Not bad, for a first mission," Zafira allowed. "You took too long against the mages you were fighting down there, and you left your team without enough support, if they had run into more than one of those amplified mages. But you accomplished the mission, with minimal casualties on all sides. Not bad."

"Thank you, sensei," Yussef replied, too tired to feel more than a mild rush of pleasure at the praise. "Remind me when we get back, though. I need to work on counter-tactics to what I've been teaching the other guys. Those punks down there were using the same sort of offense-defense pairings I came up with."

"No one ever promised a stupid enemy," Zafira reminded him, "but we'll get to counter-tactics in time. Now, focus on our new mission."

"Backup," Yussef agreed. The other two strikes had been staggered, despite Shamal's initial intention of simultaneous assault, to insure that one of the teams was always on-hand to go to another's rescue. While _Asura_'s crew was more than willing to fill that roll, it was decided that, especially at the China site, there was too much chance of two of the teams needing backup, and _Asura_'s mages could only get to one at a time. "Any word on the others, yet?"

Zafira shook his head, "only that Fate-san's team attacked on schedule, and Nanoha-san's team just teleported down. You and I will keep watch from the bridge, until both are safely back aboard."

"I'll want Mariachi, if we have to go back down. He'll balance out the teams, and..."

"If we have to go back down, he'll come with us," Zafira agreed. "Let's just hope the others have a smooth a time of it was we did."

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Eleanora Marterosiansettled her tired old bones slowly into the chair on her porch with a comfortable sigh. The padded seat and whicker back had long since conformed themselves to fit her perfectly, and even on this cool Georgia winter day, her porch was the most comfortable seat in the house. She shifted just a little, out of habit more than anything else, and reached for the folder on the side table. It was surprisingly thick, given that it was less than a day old, but then, it contained some truly frightening information.

She opened it to the first report, and gave a sarcastic chuckle. Baseline information on the subject, including a small picture of the girl, filled the first page, simple vital statistics. Highlighted in red at the bottom were readouts on her magical abilities. "So, Li," she rhetorically asked of the empty air, "do you still believe she lacks the willpower and force of personality for magic?"

The reports were brief, but detailed, analyses of each of the three children rescued from the Yagami woman's school. Eleanora had already heard what they contained, as had all the Lords, but she still preferred to read them herself, reviewing the material to see what the briefer may have missed. Beneath those, and even more explosive than the capabilities they reported, was the post-operative report on Operation Nimrod. She had been beyond shocked during that part of the briefing. Despite Lord Inca's worries, and her own questions at the final briefing, she had not expected this.

Lord Asia's resources had been seriously depleted, including the best and brightest of his Operations and Containment divisions. Only three of the sixteen children had been rescued, and only two of the eight known heretics had been confirmed destroyed. Even worse, there was conclusive evidence that two to five of the students had been corrupted already, and the wanton destruction they had unleashed was all the confirmation she needed of the Circle's historical reasons for existence. More, the attack had apparently been terminated not by the fallen children, but by some outside party – the same party that ten years before had intervened twice, and scared her, and her fellow Lords, into delving into long-forbidden historical archives to re-learn how to combat true heretics.

Reading the words again did little to calm her worries, but she had long since grown inured to having plans and world-views abruptly altered. She needed to understand what had happened, in order to deal with the repercussions. The direct involvement of the Japanese government was a complication the Circles usually avoided, but for the moment a small one. The television coverage of obvious magic captured during the clean-up, on the other hand, was a brand-new wrinkle the Circles had only had to deal with once before, and that bare months gone. The way it was being played on the various international channels, emphasizing that 'unknown terrorists' had attacked 'a private boarding school full of children' with the 'apparent intent to kidnap the young students' did not help matters.

She did not know what alerted her, but she suddenly knew she was not alone on the porch, despite having ordered her staff to leave her alone until she came in. She looked up slowly, scanning the area with a frown, but saw no one, and sensed no magic. She would have gone back to reading the reports, but she could not shake an indefinable sense of… threat.

Growing tired of it, she demanded of the empty air, "Who's there? Show yourself. I'm too old for parlor tricks to amuse me any longer."

The wavering in the air next to her was a surprise, as was the figure that materialized. She looked him up and down for a moment, then grunted in unsurprised acknowledgement. "You," she muttered, "the Yagami woman's unidentified accomplice. Why am I not surprised?"

He bowed slightly. "I am afraid you are incorrect, Lord America." She could not help narrowing her eyes at that revelation, that he knew her position in the Circles. But then, what other reason would he have for appearing here? He continued, "I am not Takashi, but a creation of his. My name is Akira."

"You're here for information, aren't you, boy? Looking for the children we rescued."

He shook his head, giving her an amused grin. "The students are no concern of mine. My task is to find out all I can about the Circles, that my master may cripple them. I have already been through three of your subordinates, and found quite a lot of useful data. However, you will provide me more."

She laughed easily at that. "And just how are you going to get it out of me, boy? Threaten to kill me? I'm ninety-two years old! Torture me? How, without killing me? Threaten my family? You have no idea who they are! No, child, you are not going to get any information from me." She was playing a bit of a bluff, and she knew it. If he was strong enough to get in here through her protections, he was strong enough to do almost anything, and none of her people would be able to stop him.

He walked slowly around her, after she spoke, moving to sit in the chair on the other side of the table. He settled in slowly, making himself comfortable, then reached into a pocket of his white coat, and somehow pulled an un-creased manila folder from its confines. He held it out to her, and when she did not move to take it, said, "I swear to you, upon my mission, that here is no danger in this document. Only information, and what I may do with it."

She still hesitated, but only for a moment before reaching out and taking the folder. It was light, could only hold a couple pieces of paper. She opened it, and felt a jolt of rage and terror as she stared at the first page, a single full-page photograph of twin girls. Shooting a glare at him, she snarled, "You bastard! How dare you threaten them?! They are children!"

Akira shook his head slowly, "You leap to the wrong conclusions, Lord America. I seek to help your great-granddaughters, and to inform you of the state of reality. If you will read the next page, you will find that the two of them are already noted for enrollment next year at the Yagami Academy. Where, given their heritage, I have no doubt they will do quite well."

"I will never…"

He cut her off with a gesture, "You will not have a choice. I do not show you this to make you any sort of deal or bargain, Lord America. Those two will attend My Lady's school next year. The invitation is prepared, and any attempt on your part to prevent it will end in failure. Your Circles are finished. Had you approached My Lady in peace, she would have left you alone. Since you came upon her with violence undeserved, she has let loose my master to do whatever he deems necessary to prevent you from ever doing so again. You cannot stand against him, you can barely hope to stand against me, and once she recovers, you will have no defense against Yagami Hayate."

"The Yagami woman is dead, killed in Egypt," Eleanora snapped, "by us, yes, but that should give you some inkling of the lengths we are willing to go to, in order to defend our world from your hideous corruption."

Akira smiled, ever so slightly, "Yagami Hayate lives, as does her Sword, Signum. They escaped your trap, and while it did them harm, none of it was permanent. Even now, she recovers her strength. Her family seeks to rescue those members of it taken by your subordinates as we speak, and I have every faith in their success. You have woken Amaterasu herself to rage and war, and you now have two options. Failure and shameful death, or surrender and a chance to preserve…" he paused to gesture at the folder, "… those who will follow after you."

She heard what he said, and with all her decades of experience, realized two things. First, she realized that he was telling her the absolute truth, that there was nothing false in what he had said, at least as far as he understood. Second, and due to the first, was the realization that, whatever else he was, this man was a supreme master in the art of breaking human will. He had, in less than five minutes, hit every button she had, and she knew it, which did not make it any less effective.

Still, she had not become what she was through weakness and surrender. "You may be right," she allowed, "which means it is now time to indulge in that second oldest of professions… bargaining."

"What do you have to bargain with?"

"Death," she replied, laughing at the slightly raised eyebrow. "Silly boy. I'll admit you have me in something of a corner. But I can always end it, and I doubt even you could survive my passing, if I did it even half right. So… I can commit suicide, and send you right back to square one in your search for the Circles. Or…

When she paused, he prompted, "Or what?"

"Or I can give you the other Lords on a platter. It all depends on what you're offering me for," she hefted the folder, "those who will follow after me. I'm an old woman, boy, and a powerful one. Which means that however strongly I hold my beliefs, I'm practical enough to admit defeat and seek to minimize the damages. So. Let's see how good a bargainer you are."

----------------------------

Spells:

Cacophony – Mariachi created this spell as an experiment in combining his music-magic with more normal forms. It takes the sound waves of the caster's voice and echoes them, modulating the echoes to volumes and tones that are painful to human ears. The interaction of echoes makes it impossible to 'tune out' without artificial assistance, and sustained exposure can damage hearing to the point of permanent deafness. Projections indicate a device-supported version could cause direct damage to physical objects. A/N: this is similar in general principle to Akira's & Takashi's spell, Cacophony of Torment (from Path of Vengeance), but not as powerful, nor as vicious.

Vision of the Damned – Natalia, through her own folly, is cursed with the ability to know when whoever she is looking at will die, and how many lives they will create. Further details available in Academy Blues: Side Stories chapter 5 – The Easier Path. Yes, I know, shameless plug!

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TheWhiteMonk: Yes, Niranjana's prediction of the size of the Circles is rather large, but it would take nearly that many people to maintain their hold on the world. On the other hand, Niranjana's calculations are based on limited and largely conjectural data so... who knows how large the Circles actually are? They could be more numerous, could be less. As for how dangerous it is to keep Hayate's kids prisoner, this should give one example, though I think Allina's probably the most dangerous of those actually held captive.

AWP: Glad you're enjoying the story, and here (obviously) is the next chapter. As I told TheWhiteMonk, the numbers are conjectural. The Circles' actual size should be revealed when I get around to wrapping up the story.

AWPrime: Are you AWP? Not sure, since that review was anonymous, so... Interesting ideas for Megan's device and spells, but I'm not sure if she'll even have a device. As for her shapeshifting, aside from actual myths, it's based on White Wolf Publishing's Exalted: The Lunars role-playing game, which is where most of her abilities will come from – less with the energy effects and more with pushing shape-shifting beyond the norm.

Kell Shock: I had TMBG stuck in my head for days before and after writing that scene, dammit. Mariachi's music-magic could eventually break down the shield, but not in any reasonable length of time. It was wearing at the school's workrooms faster than normal, but not endangering them. The music-magic is geared towards more subtle effects so, like Shamal, Mariachi will be more of a support mage than a combatant. Allina's magic cell-phone was a bit of a compromise between the effect I needed and how far I'm willing to stretch reality – the human mind can't really communicate in ones and zeros, however good a hacker – biological systems simply aren't that fast. So the construct takes that strain, and also solves the problem of her having to hold programming languages in her head. But it was also a first attempt on her part, so it should improve with time. I'll tell you this, though – a lot of her abilities (as I envision them, at the moment) are based on the Otaku, from Shadowrun Second Edition (copyright FASA, or whoever bought them out last) – kids who re-wired their own brains to hack the Internet. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit for Nanoha's grand entrance, though.

seaotter: Thanks for the compliment, and I refer you to the above replies regarding the size of the Circles:). I'd agree that the best cooks I know are men (Thanksgiving at my uncle's is the absolute best). I think a few incidents towards the ends of either World War did get up above that number, but generally after all sides hit their full build-up, and against demoralized forces with no way out. For an operation against such a small target? It was ridiculous, but it was also totally in keeping with how the Circles operate. I'm afraid I gave up on Heroes (it just... didn't do anything for me once Skyler showed up), so I'm uncertain of which character you were referencing. But Allina's the computer-guru of the school. I'm not sure how much she'll be able to create magically, though I've already gotten ideas for her device. Yussef's spell Soldiers of Heaven is unique to him, in keeping with his style and philosophies (remember, he's a soldier, Noriko and Laura are warriors), despite his having stolen one of Laura's spells above.

ariel stormcloud: thank you for the compliment.

liingo: Exams first, fun second. That'll mostly reverse in a few years, if you do it right, now:). I've spent so much time making the kids unique and strong willed, I just couldn't picture any of them being easy prisoners, though my sympathies are strictly limited. As for the SNAFU with Allina crippling the network, there's actually a couple incidents like that in the story (Fate's arrival preventing Yussef from rescuing Cidela right off the bat being the most glaring). You are correct, it is supposed to be 'generate', not 'general'. I use OpenOffice for writing, and MSWord for editing (Word still has a couple minor but useful tools OO is missing), and I think OpenOffice has trouble saving to the dot-doc format. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! As for borrowing the training ideas, that's fine, they're not mine in the first place. Based on what I've seen, read, and heard from military types I'm related to/friends with, the things Yussef has been doing with his boys are fairly basic and well known.

Sheo Darren: Quantity does indeed have its own quality, but it's not everything. I object to you intimating that Yussef was backsliding, though – he's quite the barbarian all on his own, just ask Laura. The term Wolf Packs is strongly associated with Nazi U-boats, but it also fits here. Precisely why will be made clear later, though it's hinted at here. Allina's trick to bring down the network is actually rather crude (as befits the emergency nature of its use), it's called a Denial-of-Service (DOS for short) attack. I have no comment on pairings, dammit! Thanks for reviewing, though.

DPhalanx: Hayate is a Japanese citizen, but she is also Bureau personnel, sort of a dual-citizenship. As for the Japanese government (or any Terran government, really) and their opinion of events... well, that's up in the air at the moment. Most of them are not officially aware of Asura's presence, and could not do much about it anyhow. The events of this story are going to stir up an international hornet's nest, however, but that's for a later chapter. I promise, your questions will be answered, but it's coming 'in story'.

SpaceBrotha: Yup, I've read the Wheel of Time (except for the latest book), and I'd be a lying hack if I said it wasn't an influence. But Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, and a few other fantasy authors use the same terms for their magic systems (depending on which of their worlds they are writing in). Robert Jordan's a bigger influence to me in how he structures his story. If you read the first book in WoT, there are hints and reflections in that first book of things that won't happen until five or six books later in the series (possibly even further). Masterful. Now if only I could drum up the interest to re-read the entire series so I can pick up the new book...

Aurioca: Well, the war (and its immediate aftermath) will be the end of this Academy Blues story. It's just, the attack on the campus was sort of like Pearl Harbor in WWII – the shocking opening salvo. This won't take that long to resolve, but you get the point. Thanks for reviewing!

Natimus Prime: Thanks for the review, and the compliments. Here's the next chapter (finally! Friggin' battle-scenes!), though I'm afraid the next one will probably take just as long (for much the same reason). And here I've got all sorts of ridiculously slick ideas for the chapter _after _the next one... Thanks for reading!


	25. 25 By the Pale Moon Light

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 25 – By The Pale Moonlight -

While Noriko had not experienced as many teleports as her classmates, she had experienced them mostly in the past few days. Still, teleporting to the _Asura_ after the attack, and back and forth a few times to help smooth over relations with the JSDF, had given her a fair idea of what they were supposed to look and feel like. So she fully expected the odd tingling and fluttering sensation, accompanied by the large circles of runes, when Fate teleported them down for their attack. Instead, she was treated to a sickening twisting sensation, accompanied by a horrible wrenching sound and a feeling like someone just flipped her ears without moving the rest of her.

Staggering sideways slightly, she caught herself on a snow and ice covered boulder, then gasped, "Gah, what was that?"

"Something I'm normally not allowed to do," Fate replied with a grimace. "Apologies, but unlike our normal methods of teleporting, it is almost impossible to detect." Her grimace twisted a little further, "I learned it from Takashi, it was how Akira always managed to teleport in without giving us warning."

The only member of their party who did not seem affected, quirked an eyebrow, then commented, "a most disconcerting method of travel. I would not care for it normally. Are you all right, Hime-sama?"

Noriko gave the man a flat look, "I am fine, Hidan, just a touch of vertigo from a very abnormal spell." He presented a study in contrasts, and she was distinctly uncertain of whether or not she was comfortable with him. He was small, only a centimeter or so taller than Fate and only a little heavier, possessed of a disarmingly unassuming demeanor. Yet, where she had first seen him in civilian clothes, he was now decked out in black from head to toe: cargo pants, long-sleeved black shirt, black cargo vest, black gloves, black backpack, and a tight black hood, leaving only his narrow, weasel-like face exposed, though a cloth mask hung loose about his neck. The only spot of color on him, and the only obvious weapon, was a silver-gilded tanto in a matching scabbard shoved through his belt.

He had simply appeared the afternoon after the attack, and attached himself to Noriko, under the pretext of being her new bodyguard. A politely furious conversation with her father failed to remove him, but he had gone out of his way to be unobtrusive and solicitous... until they began planning the rescues. At that point, he had quite insistently forced his way onto Fate's team, and the Admiral had caved immediately following a private conversation with him. Noriko had been less than pleased, having expected to escape the watchful presence and demonstrate that she no longer required a bodyguard. The final straw had been when he showed up aboard Asura in his 'mission clothes', and she saw the tanto on his belt – one she distinctly recalled seeing last in a photograph provided by one of her researchers, noted as having been a 'gift' from the Imperial Family to 'a loyal and trusted servant'.

Containing her annoyance, she left aside her repeated study and turned back to Fate, "Should we not be moving, Testarossa-san?"

"I can see the castle," Niranjana told them, from where she was standing atop another boulder, leaning on a large one, "East of us, up the ridge. The village is on the other side?"

Initial scans from _Asura_ and the limited information Allina had been able to provide had given them an initial idea where to look. A series of more detailed scans had given them three potential sites, all shielded against magic. One had been a remote cabin deep in the Carpathian Mountains, another was a modern office building in Odessa, while the third was a castle just north of the Ukraine-Romania border. While Subaru and Vita had argued that the Odessa site was most likely, Niranjana had insisted it was the castle, and Allina had agreed with her, reporting stonework outside her cell. Accepting the castle as their primary target, Fate had dropped them into a fold in the ground, half-way down the low, rugged mountain, just outside the perimeter _Asura_'s sensors detected.

Staring up at it, Noriko was again struck by how unassuming it was. It had quite obviously been built as a medieval fortification, but it was far from the most impressive such structure she had ever seen. There was only a single tower, maybe twenty meters the top of its conical roof, the main building was built right into the defensive walls and was barely shorter than the tower. The walls themselves were unimpressive, maybe seven meters high, and the only gate was barely three meters wide. Admittedly, she was only seeing it by moonlight, with a few exterior lights over the gate and parking lot, but still. It was hardly the 'grand redoubt' she had expected the Circles to hole up in.

There was a small and much newer parking lot in front of the castle, with several local vehicles parked in it. A moderately maintained road snaked around the ledge the castle was built upon, wending around to the far side and then through a small village before striking out to a nearby highway. The village had given them some concern, as it was fairly modernized and might very well have contained Allina's prison. But careful detailed scans had demonstrated that while the castle was heavily shielded, the village buildings carried only minimal magical defenses, probably personal shields of Circle mages living there.

"We'll have to be careful," Fate reminded them, "move slowly, keep your heads down, stay behind cover, use no magic."

From disconcertingly close behind Noriko's shoulder, Hidan asked, "Would you like me to lead off, Testarossa-san?"

Fate glanced at him, then nodded, "cautiously, please. We lack your experience at this sort of movement."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hidan promised. Then he promptly vanished, ghosting away into the pre-dawn gloom like a shadow.

"Noriko, remember to keep our spacing," Fate ordered, then began stalking up the mountainside in Hidan's wake.

Noriko reached out and grabbed Niranjana's hand, and began pulling the other girl along, letting a little distance open up between them and Fate. The gap made her a little nervous, but would prevent all of them from getting caught in one trap or attack. "Stay behind me, 'Jana-chan," she ordered, "and stay close. I'm going to have to call up Senbonzakura quick if we can't get in quietly."

"I'll stay close," Niranjana whispered back, "just get me inside."

Like Zafira's plan, Fate's depended on a certain level of practicality in the Circles' defenses. Any wards set up where mages were going to be passing in and out had to be calibrated to ignore inactive mages, or any magic below a certain threshold, or they would be triggered just by a 'friendly' crossing their range. Similarly, it was unlikely they would have attack-wards set up, for fear of injuring their own, and any such wards were even more likely to react only to magic above certain thresholds. They probably could not approach all the way to the castle, but should be able to get significantly closer.

In furtherance of being undetected, Noriko and Fate were both going in with devices in storage mode. The magic they could access as such, plus Niranjana's, should suffice to gain them enough time, once they were discovered, to activate both devices. It still made Noriko nervous, not having Senbonzakura ready and her armor up. Creeping through freezing cold darkness over snow-covered rocks did not help her nerves, either, since the 'no magic' included dropping the 'personal air-conditioning' Niranjana had created.

They paused again at the edge of the leveled area around the parking lot, where the broken angled ground of the mountain suddenly gave way to artificial flatness. Fate and Hidan carried on a brief whispered conversation, then he rolled over the lip, came up in a very low crouch, and began ghosting around the parking lot towards the gate. Noriko had to admit that he was very good at it, disappearing into the semi-darkness at the edge of the gate's flood-light.

"Be careful here," Fate warned them, "the strongest wards start right to the edge of the level ground."

Noriko glanced at her, then at the ground in front of her. As far as she could see, there was nothing to differentiate it from the ground she was standing on, other than the fact that it was level. "how can you tell?"

Fate shrugged, "a combination of things. There is a sharpness to my vision starting right there, a tingle in the wind, a sense of hazard, a vague feeling of being watched... all tell me, even without magic, that the wards begin right here. I am curious as to why they did not trigger for Hidan-san, though."

"She also has access to the best sensors in this star system," Niranjana commented, "and a wizard of a sensor officer."

"Subaru is quite good," Fate admitted, "though everything I told you is also true."

Try as she might, Noriko could not detect any of the signs Fate had told her. She could see no change in vision, feel no sense of threat or observance, it still looked the same as everywhere else. But she took the Admiral's warning as valid, and shifted back just a bit, for insurance. _When we go,_ she thought, _those wards are going to go haywire instantly._ "Devices?"

"Not yet," Fate said, "there's a small chance that, like Hidan-san, we can get to the gate without setting them off."

Hidan appeared just then, a deeper shadow that occluded a lighted panel next to the gate. He pulled something out of his pack, fiddled with the panel for a minute, then half-turned and gestured towards them, beckoning. "Wait for me to cross," Fate ordered, shifting from waiting to a sprinter's rest, "if the wards trigger..."

"I'm to bull straight in, get to Allina, and get out," Noriko finished for her. "I know, Testarossa-san, I'm not here to fight."

Fate nodded. "It's not just a matter of capability, Noriko," she said, trying to be reassuring. "I am not familiar with your magic. If you tried to help, I could very easily mistake you for one of them in the heat of battle."

That had not occurred to Noriko, and she paled slightly at the thought of being mistaken for an enemy by this woman. While Fate had not taught at the academy, Nanoha had, and it was well known amongst the students both what Nanoha could do, and that Fate could match her. "I won't get in the way, Testarossa-san," she replied.

Fate nodded again, then shifted, focused her gaze on the gate, and bolted, running flat-out. The reaction of the castle's wards was curiously delayed. Noriko felt a shiver of power as they woke, then nothing for a few moments. Just as Fate reached the gate, however, there was a shrill of alarms, and suddenly the entire place was bathed in lights from up on the battlements. More lights appeared a second later in various arrow-slit windows, and more alarms started wailing.

Noriko felt the first alarms trigger, and did not wait for Fate's order. "Senbonzakura, set up!" She was running across the pavement herself before the war-fans appeared in her hands, Niranjana a bare step behind her. Her armor came up without command, just as Fate took to the air, spiraling upwards, holding Bardiche in one hand and a yellow charge of energy in the other. That charge detonated against the tower a moment later, causing some sort of shield to fluoresce, then collapse, just as Noriko reached the gate. Hidan had it open, and was waving at them to hurry.

Noriko took to the air before reaching it, and exploded through the gate in a swirling cloud of petals, reaching out behind her to scoop up Hidan and Niranjana in cocoons of the same. "Stay still and stay calm," she ordered as Hidan began to fight the sudden motion instinctively, "they won't hurt you, but struggling makes it harder to do that."

"It is impolite not to warn your soldiers when doing such things, Hime-sama," he replied.

She was tempted to giggle at his overly polite tone, but shrugged it aside. The entrance corridor was coming to a rapid end in a double-door, and no other doors had presented themselves. She was about to carve the door out of her way when Hidan half-shouted, "the last tapestry on the left, Hime-sama! Take the door behind it!"

She pulled up her flight sharply, and a single petal cut the designated cloth free of its hanging cables. Sure enough, there was a door hidden behind it, a jarringly modern powered sliding structure. "Buzz-saw," she ordered, and a ring of petals set themselves about the edges of the doors, and began whirling along the frame at high speed. The obstacle lasted a couple of seconds, then failed. Before it could hit the floor, Noriko sent a wave of petals through the opening, blasting the door into the room beyond and filling the space with her weapons.

The room itself had a single occupant, who was still trying to figure out what was happening when Noriko burst in. The woman was wearing a uniform that vaguely suggested 'guard', but the torrent of petals slammed her into a wall and pinned her there. Noriko took a moment to study her, unconsciously directing more petals to settle over all three doors leading from the room. "Be silent and still," she ordered the guard, "you are not our objective here."

"Hime-sama, what's going on?"

Hidan's question was a surprise, and she glanced at him briefly. "What do you mean?"

"Noriko, you use your petals for everything," Niranjana told her, "including senses. You can see through them easily, we can't. What's happening?"

Blinking in surprise at her classmate, it took Noriko a second to understand that, but she had no time to really puzzle it out. "Ah, we appear to be in a security office," she explained. "I've got all three doors blocked, and a guard pinned to a wall."

"Get me to the computer," Niranjana ordered, "I've got Allina's hacker-pack with me."

Noriko separated the petals from Niranjana, and cleared a path for her to the security terminal. A moment later, she similarly released Hidan, throwing him an apologetic glance before moving to stand watch over the guard. It took an effort, but she managed to push most of the petals back to the walls, leaving the small room relatively clear. The guard, for her part, stood as still as possible, glance shifting from the now-hidden door they had entered by to Noriko to the petals holding her in place, sweating profusely.

"Got it," Niranjana said after a minute, "access up, cameras... cameras... where are the cameras?"

Hidan listened to her mumbling trail off, then turned to Noriko, and gestured to the guard, "If I may, Hime-sama?"

Noriko considered it for a moment, then shook her head slowly. "Thank you, Hidan-san, but no. I can handle this." She stepped closer to the guard, and caught her gaze. She debated for a moment, uncertain if the guard could actually understand her, so she shifted to English. "You understand this language?" The guard nodded after a moment, ever so slightly. "Good. You saw what I did to the door, yes?" Another nodded, accompanied by several blinks. "You know what I am, then? What the Circles call me?" A third nod. "Good, then you understand what I will do to you if you do not tell us how to access the internal cameras from here, and where our classmate is being held?" A thought peeled back the petals covering the woman's lower jaw.

"Vis-window," the guard rasped in heavily accented English, "it's a shortcut on the desktop, but this station won't access all the cameras. The girl is in lower cells, can't see them..."

"Got the program," Niranjana interrupted, "IDs are unique to the user, not the station, that limits what cameras she can see, but I can circumvent. This'll take a minute."

"Response time on other security," Hidan said, "what is it?"

"Alert is already moving," the guard replied, "ten mage-guards, two wolf-packs. There are four more wolf-packs on rotation. Ten minutes at most before they are ready."

Noriko followed about half of that, but asked, "What's a wolf-pack?"

"A circle loaning power to one member," the woman replied, "the strongest. There are six here."

"Thank you," Noriko told her, then reached for Fate. _Testarossa-san? We have a guard, who says there are six 'wolf packs' here, two of which should be active already. She says they are circles combining their magic to enhance one member._ Telepathy was still difficult for her, but after the attack on the campus, she could mange it if she was not distracted.

_Already fighting two,_ Fate replied rapidly, sounding more amused than concerned. _They are really quite good, for lacking devices. Not flexible enough individually, but not bad, not bad at all. Six will definitely give us trouble._

_I'll find the ritual circles and disrupt them,_ Noriko told her, _we'll need to do that to get out, at least._

_Be careful,_ Fate warned her, _and don't risk the break-out to get them. There are other ways to evade them than eliminating them._

_I know,_ Noriko agreed, _but I've only seen two rooms, and this castle's already making me nervous._ Which thought reminded her of a question. "Hidan, how did you know there was a door there?"

He looked at her, and frowned slightly, almost as if he were disappointed, "I accessed the floor plans, Hime-sama. This may be a private building, but it is also an historical sight, and the Ukrainian government keeps floor-plans for all such buildings, among other things. I had a glimpse of the hall before your arrival, enough to know what was hiding the door."

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly, "We should have thought of that."

He actually grinned at her, "It's all right, Hime-sama. This is your first B and E, after all. No one gets everything right, and you've done well so far."

She gave him a sour look, then turned to Niranjana. "Any luck?"

"Well, I think I've found the rooms where the rituals are being conducted," she replied without looking up, "Lots of people in funny robes headed to the same place, at least. I've also found the cells, but I'm still checking them. There are... a lot more than I would have expected."

"Map me a route to the ritual chambers, please," Noriko asked, "I'll handle them while you and Hidan-san get Allina."

"I'll go with you, Hime-sama," Hidan offered instantly.

She looked back to him, and quirked an eyebrow. "No, you won't, Hidan-san. I realize Father sent you along to keep me safe, but you are not equipped to keep up with me now. Niranjana will need your help more than I will, anyhow."

He frowned for a moment, and began to argue, "Hime-sama..."

"No," she cut him off. "You have your orders, Hidan-san. You want to keep me safe? Make sure Niranjana and Allina get out safely, or I will have to come back for them again. The wolf packs will send their fighters outward, to deal with Testarossa-san. Even if one or two of them remain, I can overwhelm or bypass them to get at the circles that power them. I cannot do that if I am simultaneously trying to protect you from dangers you have never before encountered."

"I have encountered magic before, Hime-sama."

"Like this?" She waved a hand, indicating the shifting petals along the walls. "Like what Testarossa-san is unleashing out there? Energies fit to shatter a battleship?" A timely rumble shook the walls slightly, as one of Fate's spells detonated. "No, Hidan-san, you have not encountered anything like what is being unleashed here today."

"I've got the route," Niranjana interrupted, "same as ours for the first little bit."

"You found Allina?"  
"I think so," Niranjana replied. "At least, I found the one cell that is not currently receiving a camera signal. Remember, she's been burning them out once in a while for fun?"

"I remember. Let's get moving, then."

"About the prisoner," Hidan interrupted, "shall we deal with her now?"

Noriko looked at her, then at the door Niranjana was moving towards. "No," she decided, "we'll bring her with us, and leave her in Allina's cell." She turned to the guard, and drew back the restraining petals into a cloud around her. Switching back to English, she explained, "You have two choices. You can come with us, and cooperate, or I can kill you here and now."

"With you," the woman rasped.

Noriko nodded, and a cluster of petals floated up to form a ring about the woman's neck, rotating slowly just where she could see them. "Those will be our insurance of your cooperation. Give me reason to doubt you, and that ring will constrict, while spinning faster than a car's tire on a highway. You understand?" The woman nodded, and Noriko turned away, walking over to Niranjana. "Let's go."

"Straight down the hall to the lift at the end, then down two floors for Hidan-san and I, four for you," Niranjana explained, then opened the door, moving back as it swung away to clear the path for a blast-front of petals. Noriko had no interest in finesse here, sending the swirling cloud screaming down the corridor. Anywhere she found a door, she piled petals in front of it, spinning out more as necessary, until the twenty-meter corridor was sealed. No one was in it, fortunately, and they jogged down it quickly.

Noriko intended to simply blast through the lift doors, but Hidan stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I've got tools," he said simply, "safer not to leave too much wreckage in our exit-path." From his pack, he produced a pair of narrow wedges that he shoved between the doors. Once they were parted, he forced them completely back into their rests, then snapped a telescoping rod in between, locking it in place with pins at each join. "This will hold the doors as long as we need," he said, "The only problem we should have on exit is if the lift car blocks us."

Noriko looked at him, then into the bare concrete of the lift shaft. A thought sent two petals whipsawing through the shaft, snapping the lift cables. A moment later the lift plummeted down from above, rumbling and rattling in an uncontrolled descent until it crashed at the bottom of the shaft. "No longer a concern," she commented, then stepped out into the emptiness, "Let's go, this is taking too long."

------------------------------

Niranjana found the entire place an annoying study in contrasts. Most of the construction was old middle-ages stone work, but entire sections had been covered over with dry-wall and fitted with modern doors. Then there was the relatively modern lift, installed in place of an old spiral stairwell. Down here it was worse, as the bare stone walls were marred by water pipes, piped wires bolted to the corners of the ceiling and walls, and wire-shaded lights strung from the ceiling. Capping the strangeness, there were symbols carved here and there, radiating small amounts of magical energy, though she did not recognize any of them.

"Third corridor on the left, second door on the left," she muttered as they passed a second cross-corridor. A glimpse of movement caused her to pause, but it was someone running the other direction. Whether they had been seen or not did not concern her, since the individual was not attempting to stop them, so she resumed her course, trotting just short of a run. Speed would have been nice, but she could not discount the chance of running into another guard, or an enhanced mage.

Behind her, she could hear their prisoner, but not a whisper from Hidan. The guard no longer had her necklace, but Hidan was right behind her, and she appeared almost as afraid of him as she had been of Noriko. The man himself had made Niranjana nervous from the start, despite the fact that he carried no weapons beyond a little knife. Something in his stance, his eyes, his presence, told her he was ridiculously dangerous, and utterly unscrupulous. When he joined their team, he had given her a brief emotionless look, seeming to stare straight through her. Noriko had apparently kept him in hand until now, but having him following her while Noriko went after the circles was... unsettling.

She pushed that aside, however, in favor of focusing on Allina. She rounded the third corridor without slowing, and literally ran into an armed man covering another pair, one of whom was unlocking the second door on the left. She bounced off, stumbling back, shock freezing her mind as she took in the scene. For a terrible moment, she flashed back to the stairwell, trapped with enemies all around her, and unable to call up any magic past her own fear...

Then Hidan's hand latched onto her shoulder, and she found herself whirling about madly. She was unprepared to hit the corridor wall, and slid limply down it. As she watched, the unsettling little man demonstrated just how dangerous he was, exploding amidst the still-reacting guards like a grenade. She watched Hidan slam the first guard into the wall and stun him with a blow to the lower chest. He then slid up to the other armed member of the trio, felling him with a rapid flurry of blows to chest and face, before back-handing the last man hard enough to break his concentration, terminate his spell, and send him spinning to the floor. The truly frightening part was that, when Hidan turned back towards her, he still had the same flat expression he had maintained since Noriko gave him his orders, and was not even breathing hard.

Unfortunately, watching him distracted Niranjana, who suddenly found a gun to her, then heard the distinctive ratcheting sound of the hammer locking back. "D... d... don... don't move!"

Niranjana froze, naturally, and saw Hidan's eyes narrow into a glare. "You do not want to do this," he commented softly, "drop the weapon now and I will continue with our original plan. Harm her, and you will not leave this building alive."

The woman was apparently made of sterner stuff than Niranjana had given her credit for. The pistol was rock-steady, despite her stuttering repetition, "D... don't move! You stay there until they recover. You're our prisoner, now." Niranjana began to turn, trying to get a look at the situation, and the pistol was suddenly jammed tighter against her skull. "Neither of you move!"

Twisting her head around got Niranjana enough of a view to confirm that the hammer was back, and that the woman was twitching her head back and forth between the two intruders. The shock and fear of the situation was finally wearing off, and her familiar speed of thought returned. _She's too nervous to last,_ Niranjana decided, _she'll pull the trigger in a minute, even if she doesn't mean to._ The thought woke surprisingly little fear, though it took her a second to realize why – her subconscious had already determined a way out of the situation. She focused on the pistol's hammer, and very carefully built a shield around it, between it and the body of the gun. Then she looked up at Hidan, and said in Japanese, "I'm impressed, Hidan-san, I have never actually seen anyone move that quickly." Then she stood up, as calmly as she could manage, and dusted off her pants.

As she began to move, there was a small snap from the pistol, and she glanced over to see the woman staring at it in surprise, finger pulling the trigger back to the stop. The woman looked up at her, then over at Hidan, then did precisely what she should have done from the start – she bolted, dropping the pistol in the process. Hidan started after her, but Niranjana was quicker, borrowing Noah's trick from the attack on the school to form a small shield just about ankle height, sending her sprawling in the corridor. Hidan had her hands twisted behind her back a moment later.

"Bring her along, please," Niranjana told him, "I'm going to get Allina."

The door was half-unlocked, a pair of physical dead-bolts matched by magical security. The dead-bolts were simple enough, a matter of using the keys on the unarmed man's belt. He was starting to come around, so she formed a simple energy packet and left it hovering over his face, where he would see it when he came too. Puzzling it out should keep him still, and it required very little of her energy or attention as she turned to the shields.

Those proved more difficult, and by the time she was willing to admit defeat, Hidan had returned, using the woman's own handcuffs to bind her, and the straps from the other two guard's larger weapons to tie them together. Their fourth prisoner, conscious by then, was apparently afraid enough of her energy-sphere not to move. Turning to Hidan, she asked in English, "how long would it take you to get information from one of them?"

He quirked an eyebrow before replying in kind, "that depends, Miss Konoth. Primarily on the time available and how far I am permitted to go."

"As far as you like, and a few minutes," she replied easily. "I need this one," she tapped the unarmed man with her foot, "to tell me how to open the mage-locks on this door." She paused to give a superior sniff, "They're too primitive compared to what I'm used to, too _crude_. It's like going from Linux to ENIAC, I can't manage it in the time available."

"I'll see what I can do," he said, shoving off the wall where he had been keeping watch. "You might want to step around the corner."

"Oh no," she told him, staring at the now-sweating Circle-mage, "I'll help. Magic can do so much more, so much faster, after all, if you'll just give me some pointers..."

"Wait! Wait... I'll open the door," he rasped, "jus... just keep her away from me."

Hidan gave her a surprised and amused look, but she just nodded, stepping back to stand beside the door. She dismissed the energy-sphere, and the mage visibly relaxed. A moment later he struggled to his feet, and began shaping his energies into the shields. Niranjana watched him like a hawk, taking very careful note of everything he did, but he limited himself to undoing the locks. Once they were done, he stepped back, obviously intending her to go first.

Niranjana shook her head, but it was Hidan who told him, "you open the door, you go in first, and you do not give me any reason to use any of the nasty little weapons I just pulled off your guards."

The man hesitated, then slumped a little, and opened the door. He walked in, and for just a second, Niranjana was overcome with joy as she heard in a familiar voice shout in half-amused, half-serious Japanese, "Hey! You don't just walk into a girl's room without warning! Hentai! Get out!"

"I don't think being forced in at gun point counts as being a pervert, Allina-chan," Niranjana called out. "I think that qualifies as 'duress'."

There was a moment's silence, then a rumble of things shaking, thundering feet, then Allina caromed off the door frame and froze just outside it, looking around wildly. Her gaze settled on Niranjana, and the Indian girl suddenly found herself falling backwards under her impact. Allina's shout was painfully loud, but after a second she could make out the shortened version of her own name. Seeing Allina still alive and unharmed took such a weight off Niranjana's shoulders she felt light-headed, and thought she might have fallen down even without being tackled.

It took a few seconds to work her way free of Allina's grip enough to hug her back, then a few more to get her calmed down enough to actually talk. Once she did, Niranjana was unsurprised to see tears in Allina's eyes, or feel them in her own. She had not realized how scared she had been of Allina being harmed or not there until the proof of her presence and safety was right in front of her. "Hello, Allina," she finally got out, "I'm happy to see you, too. But we really should get moving. Noriko-chan and Testarossa-san are buying us time, but I do not know how long they can do so."

"Okay, 'Jana-chan," Allina sat back, then frowned. She looked briefly around the hallway, taking in the disabled guards, Hidan's watchful posture, and the mage once again standing in the door, then turned back to Niranjana, frown deepening. "'Jana-chan?"

Just beginning to get back to her feet, still crouched, Niranjana paused, "Yes?"

"_What the Hell are you doing here_?" Allina actually punched her, lightly but still a punch, on the shoulder, sending her back to the floor with a thump. "I go to all the trouble of keeping you safe, getting you out of harm's way, and you just come waltzing into the enemy's lair with just _John Doe Random_ watching your back?! The _Hell _are you _thinking_?!"

For a moment, Niranjana felt a matching anger billow. _How dare she? She left me alone at the school, then I came all this way and risked everything to save her, and __she's __yelling at __me__? How dare she?! I've been worried sick about her, and she's..._ The reminder of her own concern cooled her anger instantly, _she's as worried about me as I have been about her._ Instead of yelling back, Niranjana just reached out and put her had over Allina' mouth. "We need to go, Allina-chan. You can yell at me later, once we are safely away. But Hidan-san is looking increasingly unhappy with our current situation, as the guards he disabled are regaining function. Shall we go?"

Allina frowned at her a second longer, then pulled back a bit, released an insulted huff, and agreed, "yeah, yeah, sure. Let's get these guys inside and make sure they don't follow us, ne?"

They had the two semi-functional guards retrieve the woman, as she was apparently too petrified now to move, and placed all four in Allina's cell. With their own weapons in Hidan's hands, and the two girls holding glowing spheres of power, neither guard was willing to offer too much of a fight. Once again, survival won over loyalty, and Niranjana actually took it as a good sign. Everything they had seen to date showed the Circles as too fanatical to be bargained with, but if their rank-and-file, and non-mage support such as the guards, were willing to surrender rather than die, she thought they might have a chance to resolve whatever was going on, if they could just get out of the current predicament.

Once the door was locked, Hidan surprised her by dumping the guards' collected weapons right at the door. He grimaced at the pile, fingering the tanto on his belt, and muttered, "filthy things." She had a momentary impulse to claim one for her own protection, long habit almost convincing her that she would need one to balance the weapons of any other guards they ran into. Then she remembered a few comments from her teachers and classmates, and the momentary impulse faded away. Her magic would protect her far better.

As they headed up the hall, Allina practically dragging her by one hand, Hidan a few steps behind, she commented, "you made the right choice, Hidan-san."

He hesitated a moment, then asked, "made what right choice, Konoth-san?"

"Letting Noriko-chan go on her own."

"Her points were well made, and she gave me an order," he replied, "there was no choice."

"You could have tried to insist," Niranjana countered, "but you would have ruined any chance of working with her again. She doesn't like people protecting her, and would never have put up with you if you had pushed. She might have obeyed her father's orders to accept you as a bodyguard, but she would have done everything she could to escape your presence and have you removed."

"She's doing that just fine as it is," he replied, though he sounded amused rather than angry.

"Nah, Riko-chan's not that bad," Allina told him without looking back, "if she didn't trust you, or wanted you gone, you'd still be cooling your heels in Japan with no idea where she'd disappeared to. Letting her go on her own, you're showing you trust her to look after herself, just like letting you come down her with 'Jana-chan shows she trusts you to look after her friends. Question I've got is, you know how we're supposed to go up? I don't see an elevator in that shaft."

"Noriko-chan broke it," Niranjana told her.

"Tche, typical. Those three are all supposed to be so smart, but they all jump in first without thinking, devices blazing."

"I've got a rope," Hidan told them, "and it's already in place. Can you two climb?"

"We'll fly," Niranjana answered, "but we cannot carry you, even between us."

Allina suited actions to words as they reached the wedged open doors, leaping into the shaft to float there. She spun for a moment, smiling in obvious pleasure at the sense of freedom, then blinked, and asked, "You got a computer, 'Jana-chan?"

"The front guard station has one on their network," Niranjana replied, taking to the air herself. "Depending on the situation when we get there, you may be able to use it. Why?"

Allina smiled at her, "You brought my hacker-pack, didn't you?"

"Of course."

The smile grew wider, then Allina explained with one word. "Gatecrasher."

------------------------------  
Noriko paused at the level she was supposed to exit the shaft, looking up to be sure Hidan followed Niranjana, and did not try to follow her. Once she was certain he was doing what she told him to, she nodded, then tried to put Allina and Niranjana from her mind. She had to trust them to get themselves out, trust Hidan to watch over them, and focus on her own job.

She was tempted to simply bull her way through the floor, relying on the brute power she could channel through Senbonzakura to overcome any obstacles. But that was more Laura's and Yussef's style than hers, and with warning given and the facility penetrated, speed was less of a factor than it had been getting in. So she slid a column of petals in between the leaves of the shaft door, and used them to force it apart, rather than using Buzz Saw again.

The doors opened onto a fairly substantial room, a reception area of some sort, with a single corridor leading further back into the building from behind a wide desk. It looked weirdly like a corporate office, with mellow gray colors, abstract paintings on, and comfortable chairs along, the side walls, and potted plants in the corners. Only the absence of anyone behind the desk made it look odd, and the corridor beyond was empty.

Something about that emptiness set her nerves on edge, as she settled onto her feet gently, her petals floating out of the shaft to swirl around her. The situation was odd enough that, rather than proceed further into the room, she settled into a loose tessenjutsu stance, unfolding both fans slowly as she scanned the room again. Signum had not been able to teach her much since winter break, as neither of them had used the style before, but what she knew was better suited to Senbonzakura than her normal unarmed stances.

_Someone is here,_ she decided, _hiding themselves from mundane senses. Allison says her Cloak of Shades is not a real shield, that the two can't combine, so if whatever these people are hiding under is at all similar, it shouldn't stop an attack._ Suiting actions to thoughts, she spun out her petals, causing them to explode silently away from her in all directions to fill the room.

Two figures appeared almost instantly, flickering into view and surrounding themselves with shields just before the cascade reached them, and she took a moment to study them. The further of the two, standing in the corridor entrance, was a large, massively muscled young man with a distinctly military air about him, from his buzz-cut hair to his muscle-stretched t-shirt to the camouflage-pattern cargo pants. He stared at her with a fixed gaze, one hand up to seal the corridor with a shield. The other was a smaller woman, in a severe business suit, blonde hair drawn back tight behind her narrow face. She was also looking at Noriko, but where the man looked at her as an enemy, this woman stared at her as if she was looking into an open sewer.

"You must be the one Allina has been entertaining," Noriko commented in English, matching appearance to Allina's colorful complaints. "She has been having quite a lot of fun driving you crazy. She asked a few hours ago if we could leave her here long enough to finish the job, but she has missed too many classes as it is. We would not want her to fall behind, would we?"

The woman's sneer became more pronounced. "She will learn her place, as will you, heretic. Drop that... _thing_... and surrender. Your continued resistance is an affront to God and Gaia. Your only options are surrender or death, we will not permit anything else."

"Confident, aren't you," Noriko commented, "yet for all your numbers and knowledge, you have only captured three of us, and yet we have already regained one." While her team had left minutes after Zafira's, she was fairly certain his team would have succeeded in his mission already, "and the other two will soon be returned to us."

"Arrogant brat," the woman spat, "you aren't leaving here, and neither is my apprentice. I'll give you one more chance to put that thing down and behave yourself, before I have to punish you. You don't want that."

The woman's absolute confidence was shocking, her utter refusal to even acknowledge the difference in strength beyond arrogant and into blindness. Despite that, the woman was quite obviously prepared for combat, her shields steady, her power gathered. The same was true of the man behind her, though he at least appeared less blithely overconfident. Noriko thought she could take either one easily, but the two of them would be difficult.

_Tactics, tactics,_ she reminded herself, _separate them and fight one at a time._

It took only another thought to set things in motion, the gentle floating of her petals abruptly altering to dangerous speed. The wave swept around the room, swirling about the woman in a chaotic pattern, but slamming into the man's shield across the corridor. They layered themselves deeply over his shield, closing off his view and, hopefully, taking him out of the battle for a while. Under cover of that confusion, Noriko slid across the room, closing on the woman, waiting for the shield to drop.

It came down, but not in the manner she expected. The woman detonated her own shield, causing it to explode outwards, blasting back Noriko's petals. The pink razors slid past their creator without touching her, but did reveal her position. She was close enough by then, however, not to be concerned, and merely covered the remaining distance in a single leap.

The woman snapped her hand out, power glowing in her fingers, as Noriko charged, but the younger girl snapped her right fan closed and swung it in a short, sharp arc. The solid block of metal and composites slammed into her wrist, knocking it sideways and twisting the woman into an open position, and Noriko swept her left, open, fan in a slashing arc aiming for the woman's face. _Break her concentration then bring the petal's down,_ she thought, smiling as the woman reacted exactly as she expected, stumbling backwards with a surprised cry.

Before she could follow up, however, the shield over the hallway detonated as the woman's had, and a moment later a ravening bolt of energy blasted through the scattering petals, missing Noriko by centimeters as she lunged back herself. Even diminished by the petals in its path, the buster spell had been more powerful than she expected, powerful enough to have tested her armor, had it hit. Her petals swirled in from the room, whirling around her protectively, as she re-evaluated the situation.

The man who had been standing in the hall was now striding into the room, glaring roughly in her direction, apparently unable to distinguish her precise position for her petals. More worrisome, a mousy little man was standing in his shadow, wrapping the both of them in a faintly visible shield of purple energy. The larger man stopped at the side of the desk, glared at her a moment longer, then turned to glare at the woman who was now getting her checking her wrist for injury. "I warned you, Adept Rostov," he growled in Russian, "wait for our third and engage at the ritual chambers. You will stand on the defensive, with Master Adept Dostoyevski. I will handle the child."

"Dammit, Karchev, new apprentices are my responsibility!"

"She is not a new apprentice," he countered, returning his attention to Noriko, "she is a heretic and an enemy."

Noriko took the opportunity of their continued argument to focus on newcomer, 'Dostoyevski'. He was a slight, nervous looking man, but he was also, she realized, generating two shields simultaneously, one protecting himself and Karchev, the other still sealing the corridor against her. Unlike his comrades, his attention was entirely on her, and he looked just as frightened of her as the guard upstairs had been. It was plainly obvious to her that he was the weak link in this trio, so she tried to experiment, reaching out for his mind.

_I can hear what you're thinking,_ she sent telepathically, and he twitched violently, eyes going wide. _You're right,_ she continued, _you cannot stand against me. If you fight here, you are going to die here, to keep me from a friend I have already rescued._

He was actually quivering, stepping back slightly, when Karchev spun around and grabbed his collar. "Markov! Get yourself together, man! She's playing with you! Ignore her, block her out!"

Noriko took that moment to strike, aiming the folded-fan at Rostov and calling, "Amaterasu!" The bolt of pink energy leaped from the fan. She reacted fast, snapping up a glowing hand to raise a shield, but while she did that, Noriko swept her petals forward again, spinning out more and more of them. As they began to fill the room, she ordered, "Sakura Typhoon!"

The sudden whirlwind shredded the desk, tore through the plants and furniture, and blasted the drywall from the ancient stonework. Even the stonework began to show scoring. But the three shields showed only a few signs of weakening under the assault. Unlike the conglomerate shield she had overcome at the campus, the three she was up against now were stronger, contiguous units, with slightly greater total power behind them.

Noriko was not prepared for the trio's reactions. Rostov, the angry domineering woman, moved swiftly into the corridor, taking over shielding it from Dostoyevsky. The two men, in contrast, charged for her position, the smaller one on shield, the larger launching a series of buster spells at her. They mostly wasted themselves against her petals, but served to get her attention. Distracted, she hesitated, unable to decide which was the more important threat, and that distraction cost her as Karchev came close enough to find her through her petals.

He actually leaped at her, a flying tackle that confused her for a moment, until she noticed the energized shield wrapped skin-tight about his head, shoulders and arms. She ducked under his attack, rolling to one side. She came up facing him as he tumbled, and a sweeping gesture sent every petal she had raging at him in a massive column. It slammed him into the wall hard enough to shake the stone and draw a pained grunt, but she did not think he was down, and flowed closer as her petals fell away from him, planning to break his shield.

Before she reached him, though, a hand came from behind her. She ducked her shoulder to avoid the grab. Dostoyevsky was not aiming for her, though, but for Senbonzakura. Her shift brought the fan closer, and he seized it in both hands, forcing the blades closed. "Judgment of the Fallen," he whispered, as she tried to continue her dodge.

She had no idea what his spell was supposed to do, but it felt like he dipped her hand in lava. Sheer heat and pain swept up her arm and into her brain, drawing a scream from her throat. She could feel his spell eating its way into Senbonzakura's structure, and the damage reflecting itself in her, and for just a moment was terrified out of her mind, knowing her precious device was going to be destroyed.

Even in the face of that certainty, however, she would not admit defeat. She fought back against the pain, the spell, channeling more and more power from herself to her device, guiding the child of her mind in its own defense, severing conduits and connections Dostoyevsky's spell followed, ruthlessly sacrificing parts of the device to try and save the core of it. It was brutal, it hurt to do it, but her efforts worked, preserving Senbonzakura's heart and soul, and her own, cutting off and blocking the assault until it faded away, deprived of the targets that fed it.

She came back to herself on the floor, panting with effort and pain. It still felt like her entire body was aflame, and she could not move her right arm at all. But she still had her armor, still had her device, and was buried under a shifting cloud of her petals. For a few seconds more, she lay there, curled up, trying to get past the shock of it. The pain, the damage, had come so fast and so strong, it was outside anything she had ever experienced or imagined, and she needed those precious seconds to get herself under control again.

"I told you, Karchev," the voice was unfamiliar, a little shrill, but masculine, "heretics mindlessly rely on their machines. They are nothing without them."

_That was Dostoyevsky,_ she realized, _they're close, standing over me. Not good. Not good at all._

"She still has those discs," Karchev rumbled back, "and they're still preventing us from reaching her."

"Really," Dostoyevsky snapped, sounding quite miffed, "and you wonder why I have continuously out-tested you. You never pay attention to the details, Karchev. The vast majority of her weapons are gone, and she is injured. This continued shield is probably an unconscious reaction, and the discs will fade as she does, mere minutes."

"Fine," Karchev snarled back, "but while we're waiting down here, that monster up stairs is having a field day with our comrades! You know how to get through this shield... do it!"

There was a thud sound, a cut-off yell, then, "Oh, boys! You might want to rethink that."

Noriko felt the shift in their attention, and realized from the angles and shifting of the two men that something had just happened to Rostov. Taking advantage, she dropped the shield, and lunged, trying to go sideways to get out from between the men and whoever was in the corridor. Karchev tried to grab her as she tumbled past him, but her petals were still with her, a swirling flock that forced him to abort his attempt.

She regained her feet, staying crouched, and realized that she had a problem with her right leg as well as her arm. It was not as bad, she could still sense it and control it, mostly, but it was weak and off-center, not quite answering her will as it should. The sluggishness made her unsteady, even worse than the limp weight of her arm and Senbonzakura's shattered right fan. But she stayed on her feet, and no one made any further move to attack her.

Looking to her right, she spotted the woman who had interrupted the Circle mages' debate. She was tall, very well built, and apparently quite comfortable showing that off. The only substantial clothing Noriko noticed was the black half-cape and armored gauntlets and boots. From one of those gauntleted hands dangled the Rostov woman, apparently unconscious. It actually took Noriko a moment to realize that the woman was not human, she was so used to the appearance of familiars, for the woman sported a bushy red tail, and large white-tipped fox ears.

The woman as smirking widely as she wave Rostove in the air, but her next comment was addressed to Noriko. "You all right, Riko-chan? You look a little worse for the wear."

The insultingly familiar form or her name threw Noriko, "Uh, who are you again?"

The woman chuckled, shaking her head slightly, "Forgot, I was already out and about when you came aboard. I'm Arf, Fate's keeper, though she prefers the usual title of familiar. While you were crashing the front door, she had me slip in the back. These kids aren't very good at magical security. Too much 'quantity', not enough 'quality'. I slipped down here to have a look-see, and low and behold, everyone came running. Oh, by the way, cover your ears." She suited actions to words, an orange shield appearing about her ears.

Still not entirely trusting this woman, but liking her more than the other options, Noriko formed small shields over her ears, and noticed the two Circle mages doing the same. A moment later, the world shook, the lights flickered, and a wave of dust swept blasted into the corridor. Even through the shield, the blast was painfully loud, making her stumble and flinch away from it, unconsciously drawing her petals back between herself and the corridor. All of them except Arf were coughing as the dust settled, though most of that was shaken loosed from the ceiling and walls, rather than coming down the corridor.

Karchev got his voice back first, demanding, "W... what did you do?!"

Arf just grinned wider, "Oh, just a little something Chrono-kun and I cooked up for crowd control, sonic bombs. Knocks people out and messes up their hearing for hours. You should be feeling the side-effects any second now, since they went off next to your buddies in those ritual circles providing you with all that power."

The two men looked horrified for a second, then Karchev charged Arf, yelling something unintelligible. Arf just grinned, and slung Rostov at him, tripping him up, then lunged forward to slam him to a stop with a palm on top of his head. "Struggle Bind," she snarled, orange lines swept out from her hand to wrap around him before he could recover. He slammed to the ground as she let go, struggling, but unable to break the binding.

Noriko saw the motion, saw Arf's counter beginning, and took what little energy she could spare from holding herself up to cover Dostoyevsky. As the mousy little man began building a spell, she sent a quartet of her petals flying at him, flashing them just past his face, then looping them around to circle at neck height. "Don't move," she ordered, "you have no shield any longer, and those petals are razor sharp. If I twitch, they'll take your head off."

He froze, long enough for Arf to wrap him in a binding as well. Once she had all three tied up, and set them to floating along behind her, she finally turned to Noriko, walking over to gently take her dangling arm and check it over carefully.

"I can't feel it," Noriko admitted.

"What happened? It doesn't look like you actually took any damage, there's no wound, no obvious damage..."

"The mousy one attacked Senbonzakura," Noriko explained, holding up the damaged device. "We're closer to our devices than is safe, the damage he inflicted echoed back to me. My leg's affected as well, and I think my entire right side. I'm having trouble talking," she admitted. Then she grinned, "I need to see Shamal-sensei, or Cid-chan. Can you get me to China?"

Arf arched one exquisite eyebrow, then chuckled. "Nanoha-chan told me what you kids were like. I didn't believe her 'till now. But no, we're not going to China. We need to grab Allina and get out of here. Fate'll be happy to have some more prisoners. Happy enough not to yell at me too much for letting you get hurt."

"I made good distraction, though," Noriko countered as she shuffled into the elevator shaft, "kept them busy while you placed your bombs."

"Oh, you certainly did that," Arf agreed, "though I think you need to work on your tactics. Close combat is not your forte."

Flying up the lift shaft was difficult, but she managed it. Arf's ability to drag the three prisoners after her while maintaining the sort of acrobatic ability Noriko had become accustomed to in flight was depressing, but she put it aside and kept flying. Arf shot down the hall for a moment when they reached the prison level, then returned reporting that the others were already out. They reached ground level a minute later, and she remained airborne, finding her speed slightly greater in the air than shuffling on the ground. In the guard station, however, she found a most-unwelcome surprise.

"Allina!" The Brazlian girl shot her a quick glare, before turning her attention back to the computer monitor. "What are you still doing in here?"

"Shush," Allina muttered back, "gimme a minute."

Recognizing the girl's focus, Noriko looked at Niranjana, recognized that she was just as concerned but unwilling to argue with Allina, and turned on Hidan. "Hidan! Why didn't you drag them out of here?! I told you to get them out!"

"All due respect, Hime-sama," he replied, with a perfectly straight face, "you ordered me to help Konoth-san retrieve Maricopa-san. I am in the process of doing so. Maricopa-san was quite insistent on using the computer. She promised no more than five minutes, of which she has used approximately four. I'd suggest giving her that last minute, Hime-sama. The potential benefits outweigh the risks."

Allina cut off further argument, "Done! Ha! Suck on that, you Circle bastards! I own you!"

Niranjana touched her arm, "Allina!"

"A'righ', a'righ'," Allina muttered, ejecting the CD with her programs, before letting Niranjana haul her out of the room and into the hall.

Watching them go, Noriko felt a moment of pique. _They didn't even ask what happened to me,_ she thought, _Kami-sama, spare me from ever being as oblivious as those two..._

With Arf bringing up the rear, they exited the castle far more calmly than they had entered, to find Fate reeling in the last of her opponents. The Admiral floated down to look them over, glancing quickly over them and their prisoners, then fixing Noriko in place with an almost-glare. "What happened?"

"Device damage," Noriko replied, "echoed in me. I'm functional, enough to keep moving under my own power. Can we go now?"

"We'll have to march to the edge of their barriers," Fate reminded her, "about where we teleported in."

Ten minutes later, they were back on the Asura. Getting through her worried classmates to the medics proved to be almost as challenging as fighting the Circle mages had been.

------------------------------

Hayate woke slowly, feeling surprisingly little pain. She had, in the course of her years at the Bureau, been rendered unconscious several times, and was used to the usual throbbing headaches and associated other pains that normally accompanied waking from such events. This time, it was just a transition, as her senses slowly came back to her, filling the darkness around her with the world she had let behind.

It was quiet, the soft susurration of artificially circulated air and the beep of monitors telling her she was being cared for somewhere. The specific tones of the beeps, the pattern of the air, were also unfortunately familiar, and even before her eyes opened she knew she was in the _Asura_'s medical bay. Doctor Siang had once offered to have her name inscribed on one of the beds, to reserve it for her. The feel of magic and shields about her just confirmed the location. That confirmation alone was enough to calm some of her waking fears, that she had lost her magic. It was still there, weak, but there.

When her eyes did open, she found Signum sitting in a chair next to her bed, head hanging as she dozed. "Signum," Hayate whispered, "my children?"

Signum's head snapped up, eyes going wide for a moment, then she leaned forward, taking Hayate's limp hand in both of hers. "Mistress? How are you?"

"Weak," Hayate admitted, "but getting better. My children?"

Signum frowned at her for a minute, obviously arguing with herself, then sighed slightly. "Mariachi, Allina and Cid-chan were captured. Megan had some minor injuries, as did Laura. None of the others were harmed. Rescue missions are already under way, and I believe Mariachi has been rescued."

"Are my children part of it?"

"Yes. It was safer than trying to keep them out of it, and with Fate and her crew backing us up, they should not be in any special danger."

Hayate thought that over for a few minutes, pausing only to accept the small cup of water Signum made her drink. If only three of her kids had been taken, and rescues were already under way, she found she could be remarkably calm about letting the others participate. She trusted her Knights and her friends to look after her kids, which left the source of the problem for her to deal with.

She held up a hand to still Signum's running report, smiled at her in silent apology, then ordered, "Akira. Report."

A distortion appeared in the air, then a gaping wound in reality opened, for just a moment, and the infamous program stood there, the Hellblade slung over his back. He looked around as Signum lunged to her feet, taking in Takashi's unconscious form and the state of the medical bay, then he quirked an eyebrow at her. "I was wondering when you would call on me, My Lady. I must admit to being somewhat disappointed you did not figure out sooner that you could."

"I reasoned it out as soon as he told me you existed," Hayate countered, frowning at Akira, "but I have no desire to deal with you, and there was no cause great enough to force me to. Now, however, you have been out seeking to destroy the Circles, and I need to know how far along you have progressed. Report."

He frowned back at her a moment, then shrugged, settled into a parade rest formation, and began, "through the auspices of the good Colonel Master Adept Hughes, I was placed in contact with another Circle mage of his stature, who, while less cooperative, provided me with the location and basic information concerning a member of what they call the Grand Circle. Enough information for me to locate the woman, locate members of her family, and use the second piece of information to induce her to provide more information."

Signum sucked in a breath at that, "You bastard."

"Calmly, woman," Akira replied, "I took no hostile action, not against her, merely let her believe I would. Taking such action immediately would have removed the ability to threaten that action, as well as attracted your interference, which would have delayed my mission. In return for my agreement not to harm her or hers, and to limit your counterattack to those directly involved in the attack on your school, she provided me contact information for two more of their 'Lords'. I have since used that information to determine the locations of each of their lords, twelve in all. I was debating how to put that information to use when you summoned me."

"You put all that together in two days?"

He shrugged. "A reputation for monstrous inhumanity does wonders. Even here, the Circles believe me to be capable of anything _except_ mercy, and are thus justifiably terrified of me. Admittedly, the second mage I approached is no longer amongst the living, nor are several of those who attempted to protect their Lords. But thus is determination proven, and others convinced to cooperate."

The casual ease with which he admitted that sickened Hayate, but not enough to stop her. She needed him, however monstrous he was, to safeguard her children, and she had long since determined that, to accomplish that end, she would compromise far more than this. "Find the Lords," she ordered, "tell me who they are, where they are, how they are protected. I will give them one more chance to talk, to exist peacefully, but if they will not accept my presence and leave my children alone, I will not permit them to remain. Keep track of them, Akira. When next I call you, you will bring them to me. You understand?"

He nodded slowly, "Find them, but take no action until you have regained your strength and called for them. Worry not, My Lady. When you call, they will appear before you."

------------------------------

Spells

Buzz-Saw: using a small number of petals arranged in a ring formation, Noriko can cut her way through most physical obstacles.

Amaterasu: Noriko's version of the traditional buster spell. She lacks the efficiency of Yussef's Buster Cannon or Laura's Zipper, however the bolt is somewhat more powerful when used in direct sunlight.

Judgment of the Fallen: One of the Circle's few 'standard' spells, this is used to directly attack an artificial magical construct. Against non-magical structures, it simply eats away at the material. Against objects designed to channel magical energies, it creates a destructive feedback in those channels, which is normally sufficient to destroy the object.

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Author's Note: Tessenjutsu is an old form of hand-to-hand combat utilizing an iron fan, usually with eight to ten ribs. While I have not been able to find detailed descriptions of the form, I have found enough independent sources to confirm that it does exist, and is still taught. Noriko is not formally trained in it, but between her 'normal' martial arts training (remember the 'master' mentioned during the Kyoto visit?) and Signum's abilities, she knows the basics.

------------------------------

Baughn: I agree, Natalia is creepy. I still haven't decided if the 'ghost' really is, or if he's a beginners-version of a sentient-program (like Akira), or if he's something else. But... I'm not planning on using her again, at least not with her vision ability. But it was the best way I could come up with to break Yussef's fight – that was the sixth version, and each of the preceding ones always logically ended up at a stalemate. Apologies, but Natalia's part will now return to background. Oh, and I'd argue that Precia _failed _spectacularly – she made a good reflection of her daughter, but there is no way to recreate a specific human being. Had she been sane, then yes, Fate would have been a new daughter for her, but never the daughter Precia lost.

seaotter: Yussef's definitely a soldier. Megan's dislike of the Siamese cat form is two-fold – one, she doesn't like the small size (compared with her liger form), and two, she grew up watching Lady and the Tramp, which does not paint Siamese cats in a good light:). As of right now, there is no fundamental limit to how many forms Megan can take, it's just a matter of learning the form first. I'm a little confused about what spell you were asking about Zulfiqar holding? If it was all of them, as I see it the devices operate in concert with their wielders to shape any spell. If you're talking about Soldier of Heaven, it is created in concert, but yes, maintained by Zulfiqar. Akira is a lot of things – as far as canon goes, he is precisely what Signum, Shamal, Vita and Zafira started out as – independent programs given physical forms and life. His personality is definitely drawn from the darkest aspects of Takashi's, and he truly is amoral. Now for the depressing part – at present, I have three or four more chapters, and one more Side Story, planned. On the other hand, that is subject to change without prior warning.

TheWhiteMonk: thanks for the compliment, and yes, Akira is a lot of fun:). You'll see just how scary the kids can be next chapter, I think.

pfeil: yeah, not easy at all. I've actually found myself contemplating scrapping last chapter and re-writing, but then I'd confuse my continuity, and probably have the same problems, and delay the rest of the story, but it would clean things up... bad. I'm not sure if I'd detail either battle you requested, mostly because, cool as it would be, I'd have a hard time justifying it in furtherance of the story. There may be mention of such, but probably no details. And I'll fix that error when I toss up re-edited versions of all the chapters, thank you! Probably after I complete the story.

CrimsonDX: Glad someone liked Natalia (still not comfortable with her myself). I'm not sure if the twins Akira mentioned would actually be invited to the Academy, but... maybe, maybe. I've had ideas for a follow-on story, but I'm worried I might be pushing this plot-line too far as it is. Again, maybe.

stormturmoil: who says Natalia doesn't see something when she looks at the Wolkenritter? They are alive, just not the usual sort we're all used to, which means they can die. The part that's going to be most difficult for her to deal with is always, every day, knowing precisely when those around her will die – all her friends, all her family, random people in the street... sure, you could argue "she'll know when to say goodbye," but is that really better? Having the inevitable loss of her precious people shoved in her face every moment of every day, including when she looks in a mirror? It's more than a teenager should have to deal with.

Kell Shock: Yes, Mariachi's becoming a bard, though more like the traditional (i.e. - cool and effective version) than the joke D&D came up with. Yes, the Circle still has tricks up their sleeves, and the balance of forces was what kept giving me trouble with Yussef's battle. I couldn't figure out how he could get around those two in a remotely believable fashion. I'm not happy with Arf's appearance above, for much the same reason. Akira's no world-class shirt-off-your-back corporate shark, but he knows how to get information, and remember – he had Hughes' advice to work from as well to find Lord America's weakness. As for the results of those negotiations, all will be revealed in due time.

Sheo Darren: Thanks for the compliments, though... not Basara Nekki. I had to go look that reference up, and... no, sorry, not in a million years. I never liked the Macross variants 'music conquers all' approach. I'm ok with music myself (I can read the notes, carry tunes pretty well, and have good pitch), but no music is as powerful as the Macross variants like to think. Sound can be (it's one of the second-tier favorites for non-lethal weaponry development at the moment), but a couple songs winning over violently opposed enemies? Sorry, ranting, moving on! Luke's an Aussie, he can get away with saying things like that (especially since it's true, Megan's liger form weighs significantly more than her wolf form), though you're right, it isn't polite – just funny. Mariachi's song was, (per my probably-misnamed copy) 'Metal Gear Solid Guitar Ending'. Personally, I'd argue that one song over and over is not as bad as a double-handful of insanely convoluted and meaningless but scarily puzzling lyrics (though, 'Come On Eileen' is pretty bad). I don't know why people are surprised when Akira doesn't go right for the throat... except that's what I originally wrote him to do, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Thanks for reviewing.

Natimus Prime: Guilty confession – I have no Betas, and probably never will. I'm too lazy! I agree with you about the sadly limited use of spell check & grammar check these days, but then I was taken in hand by an English teacher who was a real stickler for grammar (and I'm just that much of a perfectionist Type-A). There were errors, I've found them myself on further re-reads, but not too many. My only suggestion for getting a good 'flow' going is – work on multiple stories at once. I've found that (last chapter being a painful exception) when I get stumped on a story, working on an unrelated one helps. As for the any similarities between this and StrikerS, I plead ignorance – still haven't watched any episodes, and only read the very first manga. Feel free to watch the anime (not like I could stop you:), and hopefully the next chapter will come out sooner – I've had snippets of it floating about in my head for months now (since before I started last chapter, which was part of my problem, I think).

ariel stormcloud: Thank you.

TK3997: First off, thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you're enjoying this, and thank you for the no flames (I agree, if I don't like something, I just leave it...). I'll admit that Laura's Positron Buster should have more side-effects, but there is a question as to whether it is truly anti-matter, and I would also argue that if she can generate and contain it at all, she can contain harmful side-effects (I mentioned this in a prior reply, I think). As to the beam, that was the original intent, but there's just one problem, which is going to take a bit to explain. By creating a distinct packet, she can expand a containment field from a geometric point (no dimensions, therefore containing nothing) to the sub-atomic scale she needs (only a couple of positrons are needed for the blast effects she needs). That way, there is no chance of a stray electron floating into the containment and triggering a reaction while it's floating next to her hand. Generating a beam, she would have to cleanse the path to target of any possible particles, which is simply impossible in atmosphere, or even in interplanetary space. It might be possible in intergalactic space, but not this close to a star. So the chances of the stream of anti-matter in a 'beam' reacting prior to reaching the target would approach unity. Also, a single-size, stable, spherical containment field would be easier to create, easier to maintain, and stronger than a cylinder. Thus, all my logical arguments for Postiron Buster over Positron Beam. All that being said, however, I'm going to fall back on my favorite excuse... it's magic!:) You made some good points, but the above is the logic I'm most comfortable with.

PM Reviews (I hope?): Thanks for taking the time, and once again my apologies for losing your PMs. One of you offered to send me a list of all the typos – thanks, but I've probably found them all already. I do go back and re-read my chapters repeatedly, I just don't repost them. I probably will once I finish the story.


	26. 26 Sympathy for the Devil

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

Author's Note One: Due to parts of this chapter and next, I almost boosted this to an 'M' rating. Things get violent, and while it does go further than the Nanoha stories ever get 'on screen', I don't think it's totally out of place. Also, it is too logical an extension of two characters' personalities interacting under these circumstances. So, fair warning, this chapter isn't as nice as Nanoha usually is.

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- Chapter 26 – Sympathy for the Devil -

A hand on his shoulder woke the Doctor abruptly, and it took him a few seconds to gather sleep-addled wits. "Doctor? Sir?" He recognized the voice of one of his journeymen, and waved for him to continue. "Sir, the heretics have attacked New Delhi. The attack is in progress, but Master Adept Li has ordered the girl moved immediately. He wants us to go with her."

Finally finding his voice, the Doctor nodded, "Understood, go prep the transport. Send Yin and MacCholl to assist me with the girl."

"Yes, sir."

He took the time to get dressed properly, making sure his appearance was as neat and orderly as usual. The more harried and worried he looked, the more worried his subordinates would become, which would thus increase the likelihood of a mistake. It also gave him time to get his thoughts in order. _Li believes they will come here last,_ he realized, _with all the forces at their disposal, and wants the girl safely on her way. I think we will have to break young Cidela out of her trance after all. A pity, but best accomplished en route, I think._

Once prepared, he headed directly for the secure chamber where Cidela was being monitored, bypassing the usual monitoring station to go directly to her. He found Yin already removing the various monitors though the IV tree remained. He briefly went over the transport procedures with her again, habit more than concern that she might have forgotten. Cidela's continued stillness concerned him greatly, but he still felt it better to be cautious with her rather than hasty. Potential such as hers was too rare to risk.

Yin finished the initial steps, then slipped out to verify that the transport was ready for them. The Doctor took the opportunity to perform one last scan of the girl himself, finding himself once again amazed at the strength of her magic, the steadiness of it. He was still studying it when the connection abruptly reduced, the strength and reach of it suddenly shrinking to a fraction of its former strength. A moment later, he was broken out of his trance by the blaring of alarms.

A voice came over the PA system, "Alert! Alert! All personnel to alert stations! Hostile presence at perimeter!" It droned on, repeating the standing orders for an attack, directing guards, civilians, medical personnel, all of them to their respective positions, but he tuned it out, as those orders did not apply to him.

He turned and started or the door, but stopped at a whisper behind him. Turning around in surprise, he found Cidela looking at him through slowly blinking eyes. It took a mental effort to shift to Japanese as he returned to stand beside her. "Relax," he ordered, "we'll have you out of here in a moment."

"No," she whispered back, "don't go out there. Mother is here, now, with Rafiq. It is not safe for you there."

"Our guards will hold them off," he said, trying to be reassuring, "we'll get you to safety."

She actually smiled at him. "I pity you," she said, "enough to let you stay here, where you will be safer. Mother is not happy, it is dangerous for you out there. Stay here."

He started to refuse, but paused when he felt a shiver of magic. He should not have been able to, through all the shields about this room, the building, and the entire base, but he could quite definitely feel it, and recognized it as foreign to any of his experience. Then it spiked, a furious rush of raw power, and a moment later the floor heaved beneath his feet, the lights flickered and went out, and an earthquake-like roar rumbled through him. He staggered, managing to keep his feet only by grabbing the bed-frame, and looked at the ceiling in shock.

After a moment, he cleared his throat, and settled gingerly into a chair. "I do believe you are right, Miss Al Musab."

"Iie," she said, smiling truly, "that is not my family any more. nii Shamal, I think."

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Nanoha's original plan had been just as much based on subtlety and stealth as Zafira's and Fate's. She had opportunity to see Zafira's team start their mission, however, and upon seeing the Circle's defenses activate, and comparing the New Delhi site to their projection of what to expect at the China site, decided to forgo subtlety. Instead, she opted for a plan built on the sheer power available to her team.

They teleported into open air three hundred meters up, Nanoha leading, Vita to her right, Laura to her left, and Shamal carrying Noah and Allison in the center of their arc. As they dove on the sprawling facility, Nanoha called out her last-minute reminders. "Laura, break for the base now. Remember, keep the conventional forces away from the Circle facility, but try to avoid combat with any mages. Shamal, focus on shielding the objective building and watching Allison and Noah, you're their cover and extraction. Vita, stay close to me. Allison, Noah, move fast, but don't get caught. Use the confusion to your advantage, get to Cidela, and let us know once you have her and where you are. Remember to keep me aware of where you are, I don't want to accidentally hit one of you. Everyone ready?" A series of nods came back to her, "then go get 'em!"

Laura broke left, curling her flight path around towards the military base north of the Circle's facility, but kept her attention back. Vita and Shamal broke right and down, spiraling down towards the facility, but straying to one side. Nanoha pulled up to a halt, still over a hundred meters up, and brought Raging Heart around. Magenta runes appeared in a ring beneath her feet, and at the forked end of her device, and Laura blinked in surprise as a cartridge discharged, pouring energy into Raging Heart's control crystal. "Starlight Breaker!"

As the charge built, Laura sped up, muttering, "holy crap, she's starting things off with a bang."

A moment later, Nanoha shouted, "Fire!"

The shot was terrifyingly powerful, stronger than anything Laura had yet unleashed with Paradox, and she watched it slam home with more than a little awe. The facility was built at the base of a wide hill, with the top of the hill and its far side apparently used by the military base as a training area. Nanoha's opening volley speared down from above the base into the side of that hill, clearing the nearest building by less than a meter, liberating its vast power in a huge gout of rock and dust that, even from this altitude, visibly shook the entire area.

Watching that strike go home, Laura felt her excitement climb like a rocket, whooping out loud as the dust cloud settled, and her own target came into range. "My turn," she muttered, reaching out through Paradox.

Since they teleported in, she had been surreptitiously preparing for this, for unveiling her latest creation. It was her answer to Signum's continued contention that she lacked any area-effect spells, and to her inability to get around Yussef's and Noriko's combined abilities, when the three of them trained against each other these past two months. Reaching out to her drones, she sighted on six buildings, hangers and garages, she expected, with two more going to the roads between the military base and Circle compound. Stretching out Hicho to mark each one, she felt the drones' acknowledgments, and sang out, "Bolt From the Blue!"

The precision left a lot to be desired, one drone missing its target road completely, but the simultaneous strike was beautiful to behold nonetheless. Eight distinct buster spells, each powered by a single cartridge, slammed down out of the empty sky. She felt a momentary annoyance at her drones' immolation, the barely-contained power of their charges tearing apart their fragile structures, but overall that was fine. She had designed them to be one-shot weapons, and she had almost fifty more now floating about her, nearly invisible given their tiny size and haze-gray paint.

Watching the strikes devastate her targets, she laughed again, doing a mini-victory roll as she passed overhead. That was rapidly converted into a diving dodge, as a buster spell lashed out at her, coming close enough to have its course altered by her Gaussian Field. Spiraling away, she found the source of the attack, a woman in green uniform floating up to meet her from one of the office-buildings she had ignored.

"Oooh, someone wants to dance, huh? I know I'm not supposed to do this, but I am supposed to sow confusion and what-not."

She continued her arc, looping around to dive at the woman, and noticed out of the corner of her eye that several more mages were rising into the air, most from the Circle compound, but two more from the military base. _Takamichi-sensei and the rest can handle them,_ she decided, _I'll keep these three busy._ She focused first on the woman, and charged, leading with her left shoulder and drawing Hicho back behind her right hip.

The woman tried to dodge away, but Laura altered her flight path on instinct in mid strike, spinning the naginata around wickedly fast. The ancient tempered steel, sharpened and strengthened by her magic, slammed into the woman's shield, and bounced back. But the impact translated through the shield, not enough to harm the woman, but enough to slam her downward and into the very building she had just left. She crashed through the roof in a cloud of debris, but Laura was already turning away.

The second mage she had spotted was hanging back, so she ignored him in favor of the man closing on her. He was gathering an impressive amount of power between his hands, obviously planning to throw it at her. She charged straight for him, but he was quicker than she expected, and the packet of angry purple energy leaped from his hands before she was half way there. She let it come, then swept Hicho up in a fast slash, passing the blade through the middle of the sphere, causing it to detonate in mid-air. She blasted through the fireball with Hicho over her left shoulder, and rammed the spike into the man's shield.

He bounced back from that with a surprised cry, but was fast enough to block her follow-on over-head strike. Then the back-hand recovery caught him out of position, and as with the first mage, launched him sideways. There was nothing nearby, however, so she continued the counter-clockwise spin, pulled her right hand free of Hicho, and nailed him with a Zipper as he recovered. That sent him tumbling again, but her pursuit was cut off by the first woman's return to battle in a hail of energy bolts.

Laura spiraled away and up, settling into a hover again a few meters higher, watching as the two mages she had engaged, drifted between her and the third, who was still merely watching. She studied the two for a minute, then grinned widely, spun Hicho over her head, and called out, "come on, kids, aren't you going to play any more?"

The third mage, the oldest, floated forwards a little, stopping just behind his compatriots, to comment, "You're quite the wild one, aren't you."

"Oh yeah," she shot back, reaching up to finger the single thin braid coming off her right temple, the one white bead tying it off, considering the vaguely familiar face, "ready to go and then some. You finally going to show what you can do, ji-ji? Or you want the kids to play some more?"

He shook his head, "you have yet to prove worthy of my personal intervention. My subordinates will handle you. I would offer you an opportunity to discard that thing and surrender, but I doubt you would take it."

"I'm hurt," she pouted. "You don't want to play? Well, I guess I'll just have to make you!" Hicho slid loosely through her hand, swinging up to aim at the sky, and she sang out, "Einstein's Prison!"

------------------------------

Watching the thunderous combat open up around him, Noah was more than a little nervous as Shamal's tag-along flight spell released him a meter or so up. He pegged the landing, not like it was hard, and bolted straight for the building Rafiq was focused on, Allison a step or two ahead of him, but most of his attention was on the battle beginning above him.

While their landing appeared to be unopposed, two mages had already appeared over the compound to engage Vita, and while he had seen her demonstrations at the start of the year, this was entirely different. This was no calm, orderly progression of spells, the pint-sized firebrand was letting loose with full-power combat spells from the get-go, and further up Nanoha was doing the same, raining destruction upon the outlying structures. From talking with Yussef and some of the other students, Noah had gotten the impression that mage-battles tended to be progressive things, each side attempting smaller spells to conserve their own energies and test out their opponents' strengths. This, though, was anything but progressive, and he stumbled as yet another Starlight Breaker slammed home into the hill, causing a minor local earthquake.

"Merciful Lord," he muttered as he caught himself on the entry-stair's rail, "what's she doing, trying to shake the place down?"

"Maximum confusion with minimum damage," Allison muttered back as they cautiously slid through the door. "With all the power they're tossing around up there, no one should notice us moving about down here, and they've already blown most of the wards. Now shut up a minute, getting the cloak far enough around you to do any good is going to be difficult."

He felt her build the spell, and a moment later the world darkened to an odd twilight. There was no apparent cause, but he could feel the energies of Allison's spell shrouding them. "Remember," she whispered, "move slow, move quiet, and try not to breathe too loud." She ghosted towards the hallway beyond, and he attempted to mimic her stealthy motion.

He had, along with everyone else, pegged Allison with the nickname 'Wilderness Girl' because, of all of them, she spent the most time out stalking the woods around the campus. When she caught wind of it, she had just smirked, and insisted she was the best. When their part in this rescue was decided, she had copped a ride back down to the campus, and returned wearing embarrassingly tight jeans and tank-top under a jean jacket, with an oddly equipped tool belt around her waist, all of them in forest camouflage patterns. Watching her move now, crouched halfway to the ground, hands spread wide and head rotating back and forth like a radar turret, he could believe her claims. She did not walk, she prowled, and he realized her bare feet were deliberate, not the sign of forgetfulness he originally thought them. Her footsteps made no sound as her uneven pace carried her along one wall, close enough to the decorative plants to rustle the leaves, though even that was soundless.

_Lord have mercy,_ he thought to himself, feeling like a drunk elephant as he followed her, _she's probably invisible even without her magic._

They reached the stairwell, and Allison paused to glance back at him, or, more precisely, at Rafiq. She had taken one look at the familiar when they were tasked to get Cidela, and flatly refused to touch him. "No offense," she had said, "but not in any lifetime. Big Saint Patrick fan, however stupid his religion." So the familiar was currently wrapped loosely around Noah's neck, which admittedly took some getting used to, but was not nearly so bad as she pretended.

"Down," Rafiq ordered, "down and left, not far. Mistress is close."

As Allison lead off again, Noah whispered, "You know, you're a snake. Shouldn't you be hissing everything?"

Rafiq did hiss at that, blunt head coming up to eye-level, but Noah got the distinct impression he was laughing. "You know, you're a hairless monkey. Shouldn't you be picking off fleas?"

Allison snarled back, "Shouldn't both of you shut the _Hell _up? We're invisible, not silent, and there are people on the next floor."

"Bypass them," Rafiq ordered, "Mistress is further down."

A sound of metal sliding on metal caught their attention, and a moment later they heard the creak of hinges. "Shit," Allison cursed, whipping out her asp in one hand, pepper spray in the other, "stay behind me, and keep your shields ready."

Noah grabbed her shoulder, "Wait. If we fight, we're caught. They'll know someone's here, even if we take this first group down. You're having a hard enough time keeping the two of us invisible, can you manage three?" She tensed under his hand, then shook her head. "Up, we'll let them go by," he told her, "then sneak down once they're gone."

------------------------------

Nanoha had seen Laura's opening strike and been impressed that the girl could manage to generate attack spells of such strength at all, let alone at such a distance from herself. She had also seen the trio of mages that Laura engaged, but by then was having troubles of her own. A round dozen of enhanced mages had appeared from all over the Circles' compound, and while she, Vita and Shamal were handling them, it was proving more challenging than they had expected.

_They had warning,_ she sent to Vita and Shamal, _Fate-chan is probably in trouble as well._

_I don't think so,_ Vita sent back, _She went in too soon after Zafira's group. We had to delay, in case they needed backup, remember?_

_We__ may need backup,_ Nanoha replied, dodging a string of busters before maneuvering for more altitude.

So far, other than Laura's engaging her opponents and despite the numbers, Nanoha's plan appeared to be holding together. Shamal was comfortably ensconced behind a massive shield, keeping the entire building Noah and Allison had disappeared into blocked off, protecting herself from the building's occupants with a smaller personal shield, and simultaneously covering Vita's back with a series of momentary barriers. The red-head, meanwhile, was careening through the local airspace like a demented pinball, each change in direction immediately preceded by a physical assault on one of the Circle mages. She was not holding back, but neither was she focusing on any one mage long enough to truly overcome their defenses. Rather, she was keeping them busy, keeping them off-center, and making sure they did not get any momentum. Nanoha, for her part, was comfortably into her usual roll of artillery support, raining down Divine Busters on any concentrations of enemy mages, breaking once in a while for low-power Starlight Breakers into the hill and surrounding country-side.

The Circles, for their part, were equally obviously following a coordinated defense plan. The enhanced mages that were engaging Vita and trying to engage her and Shamal had come up in two waves, first a trio, followed not two minutes later by the rest. They had shown a lot of intelligence and self-control when they stayed together, moving in groups of two or three, instead of trying to match the attackers one-on-one. On the ground behind them un-enhanced manges had appeared, exercising lesser power, but nonetheless providing support and assistance, including barriers and the beginnings of attempts to suppress Vita and Shamal. Nanoha made certain to target any suppression circles she noticed, concerned with Shamal's report of their effectiveness at the school.

Things were definitely heating up, however. The longer they waited here, the longer the Circles had to gather and organize their forces. Watching the latest group to attempt a containment barrier scatter away from her strikes, Nanoha thought, _we're going to have to step things up soon. Fate-chan wants this place leveled once we've got Cidela, but given how their resistance is stiffening, someone might get killed if we wait much longer._

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Laura slashed the woman's shield apart with a downward slice of Hicho's blade, continuing through a full rotation to bring her heel down on her shoulder. The woman almost got out of the way, but was still sent tumbling. Once again, however, Laura was prevented from following up by the man, who's attack spell was worrisomely similar to Yussef's Buster Cannon. Her initial Einstein's Prison had faded far too quickly, probably thanks to the older mage still just watching the battle, which had freed these two to maneuver against her. She jerked backwards to avoid his strike, then moved against him in a whirlingly chaotic charge, Hicho spinning and flickering around her.

He got shields up, small ones on each hand, quick to raise and easy to drop, but difficult to use. He had proven fast enough before, and that the smaller shields were merely enhancement for some sort of full-body shield, so she did not even try to avoid his hands. Hicho's blade slammed to a stop against one, a moment later the other caught her foot, and for a second, the two of them held, each of them braced by the other.

"Your problem," she told him politely, "is your linear thinking." He blinked at her, but before he could react, she grinned and sang, "Bolt From the Blue!" The shot speared down out of the sky, the ravening bolt of energy close enough to make the hairs on her neck stand up. It was not quite a perfect shot, a little too close to her so it caught him in the edge of the blast instead of squarely, but even that was more than enough. He was caught in the blast, and unprepared. Laura was at its edge, and fully prepared. He was sent tumbling in an uncontrolled plummet, and this time she was clear to pursue.

_However they're getting this power,_ she thought, _they aren't real good at using it. Every shield he's built is in personal contact, he can't make any strong shields, though I admit he's good at making lots of little ones. Chika over there's even worse._

Her charge this time was direct, no flashy maneuvers. She did not want to give the woman a chance to intervene again as she had repeatedly, so she went for speed over subtlety. Hicho once again went over back over her shoulder. _One slash will get through his shield, then Heisenberg to take him out of the fight,_ she thought.

The man was not even starting to recover, still tumbling, when she came into range. Hicho was moving before she even finished the thought, flashing around in a vicious arc. The magic-sharpened blade sliced clean through the last of the man's defenses, and took a few buttons off the front of his uniform. She reached out to start the binding, but Hicho crashed to a halt abruptly, and not because of her action.

Laura's head whipped around, to find old man Li floating next to her, just a little over-extended, left hand wrapped around Hicho just below the blade. He actually had the gall to smile patronizingly at her, and pronounce, "Judgment of the Fallen."

She felt the energies crash down on her naginata, a little of it feeding through the reinforcements Paradox supplied, and in an instant the ancient weapon flashed a brilliant, sickly yellow, and detonated. The blast threw her away, sending her tumbling, and for a moment it was all she could do to get her balance back. When she did, she saw debris fluttering down towards the ground, nothing larger than her fingers, save for two blackened lengths of wood in her hands. She stared at them for a moment in utter shock.

"Interesting," Li commented, "I thought that thing was your amplifier. Shouldn't you be falling right now?"

Laura barely heard him over the shock and emotional pain that were almost physical. Hicho had been hers since she first used it in the museum, an extension of her arm and will almost as much as Paradox was. Loosing it, especially so abruptly, felt like she had lost an arm, almost like the time Signum had taken Paradox, and when she looked up, and saw him standing there, saw the superior smirk on his face, she felt the rage boiling up within her. But she had learned from Signum's inadvertent lesson, and harnessed that rage. "That was a gift," she snarled, "a trust from a friend, for a friend."

"What do the corrupt know of friends? You've lost a weapon, girl. Don't loose more. Surrender now, and we'll see about cleaning out the taint you've absorbed."

She snarled at him silently for a moment, as the other two moved to flank him. "So you finally think I'm 'worthy' of your attention."

"Hardly. But I have seen enough to know you are merely a distraction, a delaying tactic, and one of your fellows _is_ worth my time." He gestured, "Take her. No more playing around." The other two drifted a little wider apart, and both brought up their hands, forming powerful buster spells.

Laura's snarl just got a little wider. "Dancing's over, then." She snapped up both hands, one fist aimed at each of her prior opponents. "Positron Buster," she ordered, and for the first time this fight, as a single glittering pinprick appeared over each fist, her cartridges discharged, right shoulder followed by left. The rush of power out of the cartridges was thrillingly hard to control, difficult to channel into her twin spells. It became a bit of a horse-race, to see which of them would finish faster, but Laura was uninterested in full-power, only in payback. In losing Hicho, she had gone from delaying for Noah and Allison, to fighting for true. When she shouted, "Fire!" two separate busters shot from her hands to intercept the two buster spells targeting her.

The twin detonations were beyond catastrophic. She and they had not been ten meters apart, which was well within the blast radius of either of her Positron Busters. The twin detonation, amplified by the incoming attacks, crashed over her in a glare of white chaos. She reveled in it, however, letting the cascade wash over her armor, relying on Paradox to see her through it, and stepped up the pace, lunging through the momentary storm.

Sure enough, Li had weathered it well, but his compatriots had not. She slammed bodily into his shield as he plummeted backwards, and bounced once. The two of them recovered from that simultaneously, but while he began forming a spell, she slammed a charged fist into his shield, then another, pounding it and him backwards with a series of trip-hammer blows. He had no time to counter her, until he hit the ground. The extra stability allowed him to free both power and attention to reinforce his shield, and she stopped after two more strikes, leaving her white-glowing fist against the shivering yellow of his shield.

"You're so fond of surrendering," She growled, "why don't you give it a try? Mistress Hayate's going to want to talk to you."

"The Yagami woman is dead," he replied with aggravating calm, "in Egypt, before we even began our rescue."

She giggled snidely at that, "Oooh, poor little man, couldn't even manage that properly, could you? I've seen her, just minutes before we came down here to play. And you call yourself a general. Pshah. A _real _general, a _Marine_, would've made sure of that kill. Hayate-sama's alive and well, little man. You'd better hope she wakes up before Signum-sensei gets you, though. My teacher's not real happy with any of you right now, and her temper's worse than mine."

That broke his superior smile, making him frown slightly. "Regardless. We have knowledge, experience, and numbers on our side. You and yours cannot win, you can only surrender or die."

"Yeah, except you haven't even seen my trump card yet."

"This is not a game, girl, nor is it a dance or play as you keep pretending," he stated, "which is a sign of just how little you actually understand. This is a war, for the soul of humanity and the safety of all Creation. You must loose, there is no other option."

She grinned, sensing motion behind her. She focused on that, relying on Paradox to maintain the power in her fist, "and you think you three are going to catch me? Please. Bolt From the Blue."

Another shot crashed down, and this time there was a pained yell accompanying it. "Got your girl, and I've got more where that came from. Still think you can take me?"

"Of course I can. This is my base, after all."

He flickered and vanished into a teleport. The sudden disappearance made her stumble, but she rolled with it, and came up to find him once again airborne. The woman was on the ground a ways away, lying limply and probably unconscious. The still-nameless man was crouched next to her, checking her over. Laura considered for a moment, then dismissed the pair. "You're my prey," she snarled at Li, and launched into pursuit.

-----------------------------

Allison's nerves were going crazy. They were deep under ground now, and Noah was so close he was practically tripping on her heels. She could feel the drain of holding up Cloak of Shades so long and over so many people, and that alone would have started to get to her, but it was far from the only source of stress. The secondary was how long it was taking to find Cid-chan. Rafiq could tell about how far away she was, and in what direction, but matching that to the crazy-quilt of passageways down here was proving agonizingly time-consuming. What was seriously getting to her, though, was the sheer number of people they had passed, all of them quite plainly hostile. The mission, as Noah had to constantly remind her, required that they stay unobserved as long as possible. In contrast, every instinct she had was telling her to strike hard and strike _now_.

She could understand why, on both points. The longer they were unobserved, the closer they could get to Cid-chan, and the easier it would be to get out again. Yet, these were the people who had attacked her school, attacked her, and seemed bound and determined to force their own beliefs down her throat. She'd had enough of that from the English and the Americans, and knew that she was strong enough even this soon in her education to tell both of those groups what to do with their beliefs. Now someone else, these people, were trying to do it again, and every time she saw one of them, she felt her temper rising and a near overwhelming urge to attack.

Thoughts of trying to break back out past an aware security force, and the faint drumbeat of magical combat outside, helped keep her from giving in to those urges, but mostly it was Noah. The beanpole may not have known how to even approximate stealthy, but he was observant, reliable, and perfectly willing to stand up to her, which was a fortunately rare combination. Here and now, while she scouted corners and watched for hostiles, he was looking for hiding places, side passages, and always reminding her that combat now meant failure, which was far worse than letting arrogant punks like these go by unharmed.

Still, they were close now. Rafiq insisted they were within a handful of meters of Cid-chan, and that proximity was actually relaxing her. Soon, stealth would no longer be an option, only speed and force, which was where she excelled.

"Here," Rafiq said as she sidled past a door, "this room."

Allison paused, then shared a look with Noah. He nodded, and she felt him building a shield around them and the door. Before she could reach for the handle, however, it twisted and the door jerked open, accompanied by a rapid-fire conversation in a language she did not know.

As the man coming out turned towards her, she did not think, only reacted. He was too close for a straight shot, so her left hand went out to the side, wrist twisting the bottle to an upward angle, and index finger tightening on the top-trigger, sending a jet of pepper-spray tracing up his throat and into his face. He reacted predictably, shouting in pained surprise, hands going up in useless protective reflex, even as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground. As he fell, she whipped her asp around to clip him upside the head, bouncing him off the now-closing door and sending him all the way to the floor. Once he was down, she went over him in one long stride, only then letting her cloak fade away.

The room was fair-sized, a little larger than their rooms in the school's dorm, but this one was painted impersonal beige, and fitted with more monitoring equipment than living materials. A hospital bed, occupied by a faintly smiling Cid-chan, sat against the back wall, and a second, older, man was seated next to it. Yet a third man was standing at the foot of the bed, staring at her in surprise, half-turned away from her. It took her less than a second to take that information in, and act on it.

The pepper spray came around again, a longer burst nailing the standing man in the face. He went down, and she charged for the older man. He held up a hand, and she skidded to a halt as the power she sensed in that hand released into a shield, blocking off the room from the foot of the bed. She hesitated for a second, then nodded slowly to him, recognizing that he was not going to go easy, but also was not going to actively attack her.

She put the pepper spray back in its holster, and pulled a set of zip-ties she had acquired during the attack on the school out of a pocket. "Noah, drag the first guy in here before he gets any ideas," she ordered, while crouching to secure the second hostile. A moment later she heard him complying, but she kept her attention on her prisoner and the man still holding Cid-chan hostage. Once both prisoners were secured and shuffled off to the side, Allison and Noah moved to stand before the barrier.

"So," the old man commented, voice oddly muffled by his shield, "it would appear we are at an impasse. It will be some time before security can free the personnel to come down here and deal with you, yet I doubt you can breach my ward before they do. I don't suppose I could talk either of you into surrendering? It really would be best for you. You have no concept of just how hideously dangerous what you are learning from the Yagami woman is."

Allison shook her head, "What is it with you people and your attitude? What makes you think you're going to win this? You people couldn't handle us when we didn't know who you were or what you were doing. Now? Gods above, you better hope Hayate-sensei deal with you herself, 'cause if she let's Signum-sensei loose on you, there won't be enough left to mourn. Give us our friend, and we'll be on our way."

"Actually," Noah interrupted, "he'll be going with us. Don't you recognize him, Alley?" She shot him a glare, but he was paying her no attention. "That's Adept Hassad Al Huri sitting there," the man twitched in obvious surprise, raising an eyebrow as Noah continued, "a Pakistani, officially, though he's spent most of the last twenty years in China on 'scientific exchange'. Shamal-sensei wants to talk to him almost as much as she wants Master Adept Li."

"You'll find neither of us is easy to capture, child," Hassad assured them. "As you know, if you know who we are, we have many more decades experience than you."

Allison snorted derisively, "so did that punk who broke into our workroom. _He_ didn't last very long."

"A journeyman," Hassad told her, waving that argument away.

"A pansy," she shot back, "and I don't think you're going to be doing much better than he did, old man."

"Actually, he just might," Noah countered, reaching out to run a hand over the shield. A tinge of greenish-blue energy haloed around his finger-tips, "this shield's tough, almost as tough as I can make. You can't break it, Allison, not without burning more energy than we can spare."

"Can you break it?"

He shrugged, then grinned, "Don't have to."

She blinked at him, but he just pointed at Hassad. She looked over, and her eyes went wide with surprise. Cid-chan spoke before Allison could, "Al Huri-san? I'd like to introduce you to Rafiq." She held up one arm, a little unsteady, but only a few inches from the man's shoulder. Curled around it, upper third hovering over her upturned hand, was Rafiq, tongue flickering. Hassad flinched back violently, then lunged to his feet and back as he got a good look. "Please lower the shield and cooperate, Al Huri-san," Cid-chan continued, "Rafiq's venom is an anesthetic, not a toxin, but it is still unpleasant to experience."

For a moment, he just stuttered, "H... how?"

"Your shield is flawed," Rafiq informed him.

"The monitoring gear over there," Noah said, pointing off to Allison's right, "it interferes with your shield, creates an instability. I'd be attacking that, if Rafiq wasn't already inside."

"He was designed to help me control my powers," Cid-chan explained, "so he can channel external energies, such as those in the instability of your shield, to pass harmlessly around himself. It would not work on a solid shield, but the instability caused by your placement left him a gap. Now, please lower the shield?"

He started to say something else, then paused and thought it over. He glanced at Noah and Allison, and she made certain he could see her draw the pepper spray again. A second later, he sighed, straightened up and fixed his collar and coat, "well, another day, I guess." A wave of his hand dismissed his shield.

A moment later Allison was right in front of him, asp tapping lightly on her knee. "You going to be a problem?"

He just gave her a curious look. "Is it acceptable to your teachers for you to harm those who have surrendered?"

Allison shrugged, "Nope, but you haven't yet, and I think you're going to try and get us caught on our way out, aren't you?"

"Of course," he admitted, "I would be derelict in my duty if I didn't."

"Rafiq will guard him," Cid-chan said, shifting slowly to swing her legs off the bed, Rafiq now cradled close to her. Noah went to help her, but she just smiled, "I am fine, just a little unsteady. I haven't moved in a couple days. I'll be ready to go in a moment. Just having Rafiq this close makes it so much easier to support him." She stood, swayed a little, then walked up to Hassad, once again holding out her arm. The familiar slithered up her arm and paused, staring Hassad in the face for a moment, before striking lightning quick, wrapping himself around the man's throat loosely, settling his head just behind the man's jaw. "Be careful in everything you do, Al Huri-san," Cid-chan warned him, "Rafiq is nervous, and he does not like you. Give him cause, and you will be unconscious for days, and spend more days learning to control your nerves and muscles again. It would not be pleasant."

"Allison, lead off," Noah said. "You go play ghost, I'll keep these two covered."

She nodded and turned for the door. Cid-chan and Noah would be more than enough to handle the old man, with Rafiq perched on his shoulder like that. She wrapped Cloak of Shades about herself again, limiting it to just herself, and slipped out the door into the hall. They had a long way to go to get out, but she felt herself relaxing suddenly. It was not that they had Cid-chan, but now she was free to attack or not as she chose.

_Come on,_ she silently asked the heavens, _let someone get in my way, just one stupid little mage. Is that really so much to ask?_

-----------------------------

_They're on their way out!_ Shamal's mental victory-shout was almost deafening.

_Good,_ Vita broadcast, we're starting to have some trouble here. _There are too damn many of these punks! None of the other sites were this much trouble!_

_None of the other sites were this size, either,_ Nanoha reminded her, _and they had less warning._ Things were still roughly static, enhanced mages trying to keep up with Vita and Nanoha, while their brethren struggled to put up barriers and suppression spells. Three of the enhanced mages were down, two unconscious and one held in a binding by Shamal, but those had been the easy victories, the inexperienced and unimaginative. The nine who remained were obviously better, and getting more so as the battle raged. Despite that improvement, they were under control.

It was the un-enhanced that were starting to worry Nanoha. Individually weak, more and more of them were finding good cover that protected them from her somewhat, but still allowed them to affect the battle. She was going to have to start bringing buildings down shortly, and without certain knowledge of where, precisely, Hayate's kids were in the rabbit-warren underground, that was a very dangerous idea.

Even more worrisome, her checks of Laura had shown that, while no more mages had popped up around her, and Laura had managed to incapacitate one of her opponents, she was now being hard-pressed by the one who had stood back previously. Repeated telepathic orders to fall back on Nanoha's position had been met with silence, which was irksome, but understandable. Combat as close as that appeared to be was often impossible to break off.

Still, it was more than time for the girl to rejoin them and get ready to pull out. _Vita-chan? Can you hold here without me for a bit?_

_Not yet,_ Vita replied, _those first three were easy but these jokers are getting their teamwork together, the cheaters. You go now, I won't be able to keep these guys off Shamal. Laura can handle herself, so long as she doesn't get too crazy._

Nanoha doubted that, but could not really argue the point. She had met Laura a grand total of two times, which was hardly enough exposure to match Vita's knowledge of the girl. She also had to admit that Paradox was an impressive device, and its Velka design should give her more than enough advantage. It just went against the grain to leave a young girl alone in combat, even if that was how she had gotten her own start.

She spared another glance towards the military base, seeing the small dark figure whirling madly about two others. _Hold it together, Laura-chan,_ she thought, _just a little longer._

-----------------------------

For her part, had the idea even occurred to her, Laura would have been quite happy not to have any help, despite the trouble she was now in. Li was hers, and she was determined to take him down. The only problem was, battling him felt like battling Signum, only without the 'fun'. He was barely moving, a few meters off the ground, but always blocking everything she threw at him. She had blown four more cartridges trying to hammer through his defenses, reloaded, and used another in conjunction with a drone to really hammer Li's subordinate. The man had yet to crawl out of the crater he had created. Her drones were less effective against Li himself, it simply took her too long to set up each strike and he was almost as good at dodging as she was.

Li was proving just as adept at his own attacks. Unlike the others, he was demonstrably skilled enough to handle defense and offense simultaneously, though Laura suspected he was creating static defenses that would maintain themselves briefly while he attacked. He was not as flexible and fast as Signum had been in their recent sparring sessions, or as fast as Laura herself, but he was fast enough, and Laura could feel herself tiring. Paradox gave her a lot of power, but as Yussef had reminded her so many months ago, even with a device's support, magic was draining, and combat magic was more so.

Even worse was his mouth. The man just would not stop talking, and while she knew full well that she had a reputation as a chatter-box, Li was pushing her temper harder and harder the more he said. "Come now, child, you're still trying the same old tricks? I've already proven you can't breach my shields. Lay down your machine," on top of his arrogance, he always came back to the same subject, "surrender, and we can save you."

"Bite me," she snarled, shoving off his shield again to get a little distance. Her mother would have a fit if she heard the language Laura had been using, but Laura had spent too much time hanging out with her brother not to know more than she should, and most of those had come out since Li opened his big mouth.

"So mature," he shot back with a superior smirk, "but don't worry. You'll learn, once you cease this useless struggle."

She snarled at him, but refrained from snapping back. She backed off a little further, struggling to get her temper under control, to calm own as Signum was always telling her. She realized, as she did calm down, that beating on his shields was useless. Each time one failed, he had another forming behind it instantly. Aria's complaint about her Positron Buster had also been proven rather painfully, as each time she had tried to generate one to hit him, he had interrupted or dodged the shot.

_I need to surprise him,_ she decided, _hit him from multiple directions in sequence, not all at once. _ That was going to prove difficult, however. While she could generate a guided attack spell, she was not very good with it, and she could not yet handle more than two at a time, maybe three if she pushed it. Those numbers would not offset her poor ability to guide and accelerate the attacks, he would have no trouble avoiding all of them. Her drones were an option, but they were proving less and less accurate as she began to tire. She would have to be right on top of him to keep him from noticing the strikes, and she was fairly certain that being that close a second time would get her hit.

A tug on her ankle jerked her attention back to the present, and she realized she had lost track of Li a moment before the tug turned into a hideous constriction that wrapped its way up her legs and around her torso. She shrieked in surprise, as her magic suddenly faded, draining away, and she found herself plummeting, her armor fading back into Paradox's basic form. She could not help screaming in rage and panic all the way down, struggling mightily to get her flight back, but every bit of energy she drew in just fled right out of her grasp, despite Paradox's efforts to help. She hit the roof of a building, and crashed through it into an open space, then slammed onto the ground, cracking her head hard enough to send her into a daze.

Gasping in a combination of pain and panic, she managed to struggle to her knees, feeling her energy still draining away, Paradox still struggling against the binding that held her. She could see aircraft around her, parked but damaged, and she realized this was one of the hangers her opening volley had targeted. Before she could find cover, however, Li came floating down through one of the holes in the roof.

"Gaia's Anchor," he explained, "a complicated and powerful binding. You will find that you have no magic any longer. Never take your attention off an enemy, girl. Thus begins your first lesson."

-----------------------------

Li watched the girl struggle upright, impressed that she could manage even that much. Gaia's Anchor was almost never used, and he had almost opted not to bother learning it during his own training years before. Granted, the spell was wonderfully effective, and most mages would collapse unconscious after being wrapped up in it for a mere second or two, and it was surprisingly simple binding to form. But it required a great deal of power to over-ride the target's defenses and establish the exterior connections that made the spell so devastating, power that only a Master Adept normally had access too. But now, feeling the quivering strain of holding the wolf pack together for so long, he was glad he had learned it.

_Much longer, and this girl might have been able to get through my defenses,_ he thought.

While she struggled futilely against the binding, he made his own internal check, careful to keep the binding powered and part of his attention on her. He had begun this battle with a full circle of twelve adepts granting him their combined power. He was down to seven, and fairly certain that the five who had fallen had burned themselves out. He could feel his own magic straining, riding the ragged edge from channeling so much power for so long, and knew he had come close to burning himself out. All from fighting one child. It was almost enough to convince him that the more lurid tales of the Fall were true.

"You're very good, girl," he told her as she glared up at him, feeling surprisingly little discomfort at the admission. "In a way, I'm glad you're here. I had despaired of saving any of the Yagami woman's other victims. Stop struggling, get rid of that machine you're hiding behind, and admit that you have lost. You can try all day long, no amount of magic will break that binding."

She snarled at him again, struggling harder against the yellow bands now wrapped around her arms. "I'll never surrender," she growled. "You'll have to drop this sometime, and when you do, I'm going to _break _you."

He shook his head, "girl, even if you manage to get out of this, all that will await you is the same death that is even now being arranged for your classmates. That abomination of a school will be cleansed by summer, and the only chance you have to survive it is to surrender and accept the true path."

She actually laughed at him, throwing her head back, the high sound echoing off the shattered walls. When she got her control back, still quaking with laughter, but also still snarling at him, "you have no idea what you've woken up, you twit! You study history? Remember what the US did to Japan for Pearl Harbor? Love taps, you arrogant bastard! God, I am so looking forward to when Hayate-sensei lets Ta-chan loose on you!"

He shook his head again, and decided to give the girl one last chance. It would be a terrible shame to come this close to saving another child and fail. "Girl, you and those who have deceived you have no chance. The Circles have a long and successful history of keeping fallen such as your teachers under control, and we will not stand for the danger they represent. You have this chance here, girl. Your classmates are doomed, but you, and your parents and brother, still have this chance to find redemption." Her eyes went wide, and she paled, at the implied threat. Then she flushed and the rage in her eyes returned full force, before she dropped her head to stare at the floor. Li just shook his head, "you are trapped here, girl. The best resistance can gain you is imprisonment before you are executed for crimes against humanity. Surrender, accept your place as a Circle apprentice, and take this opportunity to redeem yourself. Perhaps you can even convince some of your classmates to do the same..." He trailed off, as he realized she was muttering something, just at the edge of his hearing.

"... A million miles high, I'm a piece of the sky..." her voice became louder, simultaneously calmer and more enraged. More surprising, he could feel her pulling in power, tremendous amounts of it.

Li frowned at her, "What are you trying?"

His only answer was a pair of discharges from the amplifiers she had previously demonstrated, and the power grounded by his binding suddenly trebled, as she continued, "... purple in the rainbow, my, my, my..."

He could feel the binding straining, and realized she was trying to overpower it, and coming close to succeeding. Seizing on his wolf pack ruthlessly, he channeled ever more energy into the binding, shoring it up carefully. _She's too dangerous,_ he decided regretfully, _she has to be put down._

Despite his efforts, the energy she was pouring into overpowering the binding was insane. One after another three more amplifiers triggered, and he realized he was not going to be able to hold the binding, despite its proven effectiveness.

"I'm the wind in your hair," her voice now practically a shout and he could tell that, somehow, that cadence was helping her focus, helping her control the energies to be more disruptive to the binding than they should have been. "... I'm the rain on the sea, I'm free!" The binding pulsed, "_I'm free_!" He could feel the damaged hanger shaking around them now, as her efforts peaked, "_I'M FREEEE!!!_"

For the first time in history, Gaia's Anchor failed. The backlash staggered him, sending him tumbling to the ground, but he managed to land on his feet. Even as he rose and wrapped shields around himself, he saw her raise one arm and her face to the sky and heard, "All drones! _Bolt From the Blue_!"

He realized in that moment how she had managed her trick of off-angle attacks, but had no idea how many shots she had left for it. As the sky visible through the hanger roof suddenly brightened terribly, he seized all the power the wolf pack could spare, feeling two more, then a third, of his precious adepts and friends fall out of the circle, unconscious or burned out, even as he took their last gifts and built a desperate shield.

The roof of the hanger simply ceased to be, not enough left to even collapse and its light mundane structure not nearly enough to lessen the impossible blast. Li had no way to tell how many of her 'drones' contributed to the strike, they came simultaneously in a single horrifying wave. It slammed into his shield like a mountain, more power than he had ever conceived of a single human being commanding, and his shield scoured away like sand in a hurricane. He layered another shield beneath the first, then another as that one began to fail, and his world became those shields, struggling to keep building one more shield, one more defense. The small part of his mind not fully occupied with that could only marvel that the most powerful shields he had ever built were being shattered like glass by a strike that appeared to have mostly missed him, expending its rage as much on the pavement around him as on his shield.

When it finally cleared and he staggered out from under his last shield, panting and gasping, muscles quivering with adrenaline and exhaustion, he was honestly surprised to still be standing. He had, at the last, lost connection with his wolf pack, though he was uncertain if that was because they failed or he had. But he was still standing, even as the cloud of debris left him choking and mostly blind, and the girl had to be exhausted herself from that titanic spell.

A shift in the cloud focused his attention, and then she was there, leaping at him through the debris, red hair flying wildly about her, face contorted by the same berserk rage that had been in her face as she broke Gaia's Anchor. He swung one arm in a clumsy block of her leading arm, but her other hand came around lightning fast, and for just an instant, her palm touched his chest with surprising gentleness.

"_Jupiter's Fist!_"

-----------------------------

Author's Note Two: I know I'm going to get a lost of questions and doubt on the above, and wanted to take a minute to explain how I arrived at this point in Laura's battle. I'm probably more nervous about this chapter than I have been about anything since I first posted here, so please give me the benefit of the doubt, and try to understand I am not trying to be gratuitous or shocking, even though this goes further than the first two Nanoha series went on-screen. The longer I have spent thinking about Master Adept Li – his views, his personality, his resources, everything about him – the more convinced I have become that he is just as bad as Akira ever was, and that he simply would not stop, ever. Similarly, Laura is simply incapable of quitting, and as demonstrated in prior chapters, her temper is far beyond the norm. I plotted out who would be on which rescue mission, and who would be opposing them, months ago, and realized when I started chapter 24 that Laura would almost have to be the one facing Li, to keep the focus on the kids. I almost changed it, almost pitted him against Nanoha, but that would have been too easy, and left me struggling to get Laura's fight done. Finally, the above fight and its end are giving me a chance to put a lot more depth into Laura's character, something I wanted but failed to do for Yussef's and Noriko's fights as well. Again, I'm sorry if this upsets any of you, but I really think it will make for a better story.

Author's Note Three: Several people asked, fairly early on in this story, if I had musical themes for the various characters. I don't have one for all of them, but Laura actually has three, at this point. All three are mentioned by characters in reference to her, though I'll only identify one here- you'll have to guess at the other two:). The chant Laura uses to break Li's binding is the chorus to a song by Concrete Blonde called, appropriately enough, Free. It popped up on one of my play-lists when I first envisioned that scene, and just fit too well, thus becoming her third theme song. I'll probably list the rest, along with some other inspirations, after the final chapter.

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Spells

Bolt From the Blue: This is more of a device-extension than an actual spell. Laura has, with Signum's assistance, created a style of light, compact drone that has its own limited flight capabilities (maneuverability and stealth over speed), has minor stealth features built in to make it difficult to detect and notice in combat, and carries a single cartridge and equipment to focus that cartridge's energy into a single crude buster spell. The drone is not strong enough to survive discharging the cartridge, and is thus a one-shot weapon. Also, due to the drone's size and focus on stealth above all, the strike is not very accurate or efficient (less than thirty percent of the cartridge's energy is actually delivered to the target). The advantages are surprise and flexibility of attack angle and timing, as well as allowing the controlling mage to unleash far more power than one mage can normally control.

Cloak of Shades: Allison's pride and joy, this spell bends electro-magnetic radiation around the caster, save for a small amount of visible light to allow for normal vision. While initially limited to visible light, further refinements have pushed its effects into the IR spectrum, thus allowing her to defeat most modern technological surveillance systems. Normal defensive shields disrupt the cloak, thus the caster must choose between invisibility and more typical protection.

Heisenberg's Rule: While only mentioned, and not used, this is Laura's take on a binding spell. In keeping with her own chaotic personality, rather than actually binding a mage, it seeks to apply Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle to the macro scale. It becomes impossible for an affected mage to accurately target any spells, even those with a range of self, as they can no longer compensate for a target's motion without changing that motion. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle states, roughly, that measuring a particle's speed changes its position, and measuring it's position changes its speed, so it is impossible to know both simultaneously. Without both pieces of information, accurate targeting is impossible.

Gaia's Anchor: A binding created by the Circles, it is amongst their most demanding of spells, in terms of skill, control, and power. Only Master Adepts have the strength of magic necessary to cast this spell without support, though full Circles have been known to use it. Similar to the Bureau's Struggle Bind, Gaia's Anchor negates magic around the target, but continues to drain their magical energies in a manner similar to grounding electrical energy.

Jupiter's Fist: this spell will be detailed next chapter.

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Kell Shock: Noriko did catch it bad, but then she has no combat experience (and also lacks a real combat mind-set). She also, like Yussef and unlike Laura, didn't have any room to maneuver, which severely limited her options. I think she's more of a mid-range combatant, close enough to be nervous, but not nearly as far off as Nanoha prefers to be. As to Laura fighting the Doctor, I thought about having her face off with both Li and the Doctor, but... I prefer the above. The Doctor was never supposed to be a combatant, skilled though he is, hence his relatively easy surrender above.

seaotter: Sorry about the wait, but the last two chapters gave me a lot of trouble. This one's been mostly put together in my head for weeks now, and I also had a couple days off work this week. Looking back on them and this chapter, I think it's because I got several parts of this chapter and next stuck in my head, which made it that much harder to figure out how to handle Yussef's and Noriko's combats. The Gaia reference last chapter and above are supposed to reflect two things – the age of the Circles (since most ancient religions, which the Circle could arguably be, revered at least some form of mother goddess), and the fact that, for all their size and uniformity, the Circles are not as monolithic as initially portrayed. They have their factions and interpretations, and while it's not critical to the story, demonstrating that 'in story' makes me feel like they're less mono-dimensional. As for Allina and Niranjana, while I hate to admit it because I'm not good at writing relationships, I'd have to say that yeah, they probably are a couple at this point. I'm not done with Akira yet, you'll have to wait and see if he actually mellows. The Circles' magic is probably closest to mid-childan magic, though without the runes and devices in support. The differences are subtle enough to be immaterial. Circle and Bureau mages could trade spells, if the Circle mage could be convinced to stop attacking long enough. As for Yussef's use of Laura's Zipper spell, I didn't detail it, but the trio has been training heavily for months (remember Vita's immediate answer to the vulnerability caused by their devices?), and that training included sparring against each other, so he's seen the Zipper a lot (Laura relies on it about as much as Nanoha does on Divine Buster). He created his version of the spell 'on the fly' in New Delhi, but he's seen the original often enough to get it right.

CrimsonDX: Yeah, the reunion was probably the most fun I had in that chapter. Those two are a lot of fun to write, even if I am panicked about screwing them up. I'm afraid Cid-chan's part in this chapter was a little on the brief side, but it was significant. As for your desire for a sequel/continuation, a little pushy, but I understand – you don't want to think about what I'd say to David Weber if I ever run into him, I hate how long he keeps taking to publish his Honor Harrington books, when I've got so many ideas for what he could do (not that any of my ideas are ever even close to correct)! Thing is, it's not a lack of plot-lines, or getting tired of the characters, its just... I've pushed this so far past Nanoha canon that any follow-on story would qualify as fan-fiction in name only. In fact, it's convinced me to give pure-original writing another chance, which I haven't done in over a decade now. I have ideas, and I can see loose ends all over the place that I could spin out, but I'm worried any further follow-on would collapse under its own weight. For an example of a story that feels like it's about to do just that, go take a look at Queen Rat over in the Ranma section, by Sarge4. It's a good story, and I loved the first two books, but only liked the third and fourth, and I'm distinctly uncertain about the fifth book he just started. Not because the follow-ons are in any way worse, it just seems to be getting old (which could just be me). Also, knowing me and my bad habits, if I say I will write a sequel, I'd probably get two chapters up and loose interest, or if I said I wouldn't write one, I'd probably think of nothing else for months, so... I don't know yet. Here's this, I'll decide by the time I post the last chapter of Academy Blues if there'll be a sequel.

TheWhiteMonk: How's this for scary? Hayate's confrontation with the Lords is going to be interesting, for a lot of reasons. Soon, soon...:)

Aurioca: Glad you like the story. I read on Wikipedia about Arf's reduced role, and was disappointed. She's a lot of fun, and after the first two series I just can't picture Fate without Arf hovering in the background somewhere. Also, she gave me an answer to how Noriko managed to get out of her fight.

Ray Venn Hakubi: I remember you reviewing, but further research ('cause I'm that much of a Type A:) shows that was from Path of Vengeance. Thank you for both! Furious Angels does work for the battle scene and tempo, but Noriko's & Senbonzakura's theme music is actually The Song, from the Gundam Seed – Symphonic album. Bad generic title, but a beautiful piece of music. My original plan for getting Noriko out of there was to use her Buzz Saw to cut a hole in the wall and actually bypass the fight, but I couldn't figure timing properly. Arf's appearance was a bit of last-ditch plotting on my part, since originally she was supposed to be 'outside' helping Fate. As for what Allina did at the end of the chapter, it's a program she mentioned but didn't use in the first Side Story – Gatecrasher is actually a suite of programs for accessing a secured computer and extracting as much information as possible from it, then formatting it to render it useless. She probably didn't use the full suite, but details of what she did will be used in upcoming chapters. On a final note, my apologies, but I did go beyond the 'normal innocence' of Nanoha-verse combat, it's just... Li and Laura have a combination of temperaments and outlooks that could not be more explosive if I'd planned them that way (I swear I didn't). This also gives me something to work with in the upcoming chapters that would have been far less interesting without it.


	27. 27 Requiescat in Pace

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 27 – _Requiescat in Pace_ -

Nanoha felt it begin, felt the drones trigger, but all she could do was stare in horror as the strike went home. Individually weak, that combined strike was stronger than her Starlight Breaker, if more diffuse, and the military base's hanger vaporized under the impact. A moment later, debris detonated out of the blast, a massive billowing cloud of dirt and dust vomited forth as earth and material had no where to go to escape the tremendous pressures. The shock-wave alone blew out every window on the base and shook into rubble the buildings closest to the hanger, causing buildings and trees to sway and shake even as far away as the Circles' compound.

Even worse, far more energy was liberated in a unified pulse, a wave of wildly uncontrolled power that rolled over the area like a flood. The sheer chaos of it destabilized everything, and suddenly it was all Nanoha could do to remain airborne as her own magics were disrupted. Shamal's shield flickered and shrank, before stabilizing again less than half its prior size, and Vita also stumbled unsteadily in the air. The Circle mages fared worse, loosing their cohesion completely and plummeting ground-ward. The barriers they had built, the suppression effects, all collapsed in spiteful flares of uncontrolled power.

The explosion completely changed the situation and mission in that one moment. _Vita! I have to..._

_Go get her!_ Vita's reply was began almost before Nanoha's thought reached her. _Shamal and I'll get the others out of here. Go!_

Struggling through unaccustomed magical and mundane turbulence, Nanoha moved as fast as she could towards where she had last seen Laura. The dirty gray column of back-blast was still mushrooming upwards, already spreading out to cover the area. The turbulence worsened the closer to that column she got, as did the magical disturbance, but with Raging Heart's support, she bulled her way through both, eventually wrapping a light shield around herself just so she could breathe. The shield glowed, a random glitter of fluctuating light, as it reflected not just physical debris, but left over streamers of magic.

Concern for Laura or not, Nanoha's first priority had to be containment. The sheer amount of energy unleashed was too much, too uncontrolled, in too small an area and too short a time, for the fabric of reality to have escaped unharmed, and she had to make sure there were no permanent effects. Sure the Arc en'Ciel and certain other systems and effects generated more power, but those also incorporated safety features and controls to limit or mitigate the damage their use inflicted. The minimal controls exerted on the power just released had been woefully insufficient for the task. So she stayed high in the cloud, stretching out her senses through Raging Heart, and felt a moment's relief as she found weakness, but no tear in reality. Weakness she could live with, could ignore long enough to look for survivors.

Diving towards the ground, she sent out more questing fingers of magic, and found Laura easily enough. The girl was radiating unused power, usually a sign of a mage rendered unconscious in mid-spell and definitely dangerous. She was roughly in the center of the devastated area, but as she descended, Nanoha realized that that area was now significantly below ground level. It took some effort, but she called up enough energy to spin the dirt and dust out of her way without weakening the fabric of reality further.

What she found was even more worrisome than the energy pouring off the girl. Laura was slumped on her knees in the bottom of a crater, arms dangling limp, staring straight up at absolutely nothing. Her red hair was covered in gray dust, as was her armor, and it had even begun to collect on her eyes, as she stared unblinking into the debris-shrouded sky.

"Laura-chan?" Nanoha touched down next to her, reaching out hesitantly, worried that touching her would harm her somehow. "Laura-chan? Are you..." She trailed off, realizing it was blindingly obvious that the girl was not 'okay' in any way, then finished, "we need to go. Cid-chan's free, we need to get back to _Asura_." Laura blinked, frighteningly slowly, and her head rolled sideways to stare at Nanoha. When she remained silent, Nanoha finally reached out to gently touch her shoulder, and repeated, "we have to go."

"I..." Laura paused, and swallowed twice, before trying again, her voice softly rasping, "I... I ki... I... killed him."

"Oh, Kami-sama," Nanoha sighed, dropping to crouch next to her, "oh, Laura-chan, what happened?"

"He... he wouldn't shut up..." Laura fell sideways more than leaned, burying her face in Nanoha's jacket. Her voice was harder to follow, muffled, but Nanoha could still hear her, "he was going to k... kill everyone... my friends... my teachers... my family..." her voice had been rising slightly, and Nanoha did not like the hysterical edge her voice took on as she continued, "he was going to kill them! Because I wouldn't quit! He was going to kill my family! He just wouldn't shut up! Why didn't he shut up? Why wouldn't he just shut up?! Why?! _Why_?!"

Laura was hitting her now, gentle punches in the chest, but Nanoha hardly noticed, just held her tighter as the girl started sobbing, rocking her gently. Any thought she had to mention Laura's disobeying orders, or her reckless use of magic, vanished… there was no way Nanoha was going to bring those up _ever_, after hearing this. "Shhh, chibi-ko, sometimes there's no choice. You'll be fine, you did fine." She held the girl for a few minutes, letting her cry out as the debris settled around them. When it looked like she was not going to stop, Nanoha shifted her very carefully, picking her up with an arm around her back and knees. Laura just clung tighter, still sobbing, as Nanoha took to the air.

When she broke clear of the cloud into sunlight again, she was surprised to find Fate, Arf, Zafira and Yussef in the air, as well as her own team and about half of Fate's Enforcers. Shamal was carrying Cid-chan, much the same way Nanoha had Laura, though the Arabian girl was looking around, patently concerned for her friend. Noah and Allison were floating near Shamal, carried by her magic, while a prisoner was floating near Vita, looking distinctly uncomfortable upside down.

The others held back a bit, watching her with concern, but Fate came right over. "We picked up a major disturbance, I thought you could use some backup. How is she?"

Nanoha shook her head slightly, "Not good. Can you finish up here? I want to get her someplace quiet and safe."

"Take her to _Asura_," Fate said, "take your whole team. We'll finish here."

Nanoha nodded her thanks. "Be careful hereabout. The battle got a little intense, and the whole area's weakened."

"We'll clean it up."

"Arigato, Fate-chan." She drifted backwards, and twitched her head at Vita and Shamal. The two of them moved over to join her, and a moment later Zafira and Yussef did as well. "Vita-chan, could you handle the teleport, please?"

"Sure thing," the red answered, still staring worriedly at Laura. A moment later, massive rings of red sigils appeared, spreading out above and below them, and the world faded out in a red wash.

When it cleared, they were in the _Asura_'s teleport bay. There was a moment of tense silence as the crowd at the perimeter scanned the incoming, then a collective shout of joy as Shamal put Cid-chan down, and suddenly everyone was surging forward. The students went right for their rescued classmate, and Nanoha thanked their focus as she tried to slip around the group and out the door. She could tell Laura was not ready for this, for them. Vita, Shamal and Zafira nodded their understanding of her wordless explanation, and tried to make a little more room for her.

Unfortunately, not everyone was focused on Cid-chan. The girl herself tried to get through the crowd of well-wishers, but found herself thoroughly pinned. Yussef, at the edge of the group, actually managed to catch up to her. "What's wrong with Laura?"

The abruptness and tone would have been insulting, if he had not been staring at her with such blatant concern. His voice made Laura flinch and cling tighter, however, so Nanoha just shook her head. "Nothing physical," she explained, "anything more will have to wait."

Yussef's interruption had, however, drawn the attention of the others, and the students' attention was suddenly all on Nanoha. She sighed, and shook her head slowly, but Shamal beat her to the punch. "Not now, children," the healer ordered, "Laura was injured in the rescue in China. She will be fine, but she needs Signum and privacy right now. Give Takamichi-sensei room, let her through."

They made way, reluctantly, and their watchful silence made Nanoha more than a little nervous. They should have been muttering, maybe crying a little, but they just stood and watched, obviously concerned, but... focused, waiting. Not the sort of response a group of teenagers should have to one of their friends so obviously hurt. It reminded Nanoha more of some of her ad-hoc squads when a mission went bad.

She reached the hall and finally escaped that unnerving silence, and took Shamal's advice. She had intended to find one of the quite observation bays, and just hold Laura until she fell asleep or started talking again, but Signum was sounding like a better idea by the second. So she made her way there, not really talking but making comforting sounds to the little girl in her arms who had still not stopped sobbing.

When she reached the recovery room her friends were in, she was surprised to see Hayate awake, talking with Signum and Doctor Siang. The instant concern on all their faces was touching, but she just shook her head. "Signum-san. Can you take her? She isn't physically hurt, but..."

The Sword Knight was striding over before she finished, reaching out for her student. "What happened?"

"She fought Master Adept Li," Nanoha reported, letting Laura go with a guilty twinge, running one hand over the girl's head. She was a little surprised when, instead of clinging to Signum, Laura just curled up around herself. "She was forced to kill him."

Signum closed her eyes for a moment, pulling Laura in tighter, then nodded. She looked back over her shoulder, "Hayate-sama..."  
"Go, Signum," Hayate interrupted, waving her gently towards the door, "she needs someone who will understand."

Somehow, Signum managed to bow without moving much, then disappeared out the door. Doctor Siang followed after a glance at Hayate, leaving Nanoha to explain. She felt a moment of guilt, and thought for a second about following Signum. She was fully aware of how Hayate felt about her students, and did not relish having to explain how one of the children had come to be hurt while under her command.

"I'm so sorry, Hayate," she said, moving uncertainly towards the chair Signum had occupied. "She was supposed to avoid combat with mages, we did not expect any at the military base. I couldn't get away from the main fight quickly enough, and Li... he was better than we expected, and I think he almost had her."

Hayate reached out and took her hand, managing to convey sympathy, sorrow, and steely resolve all at once. "Tell me what happened."

Hesitating, feeling a fresh stab of guilt for putting Laura in such a situation, Nanoha began, detailing the entire assault, both the planned actions and what she had seen of it. The distance and her own responsibilities kept her from seeing too much of Laura's battle, beyond knowing it had been more difficult for the girl than Nanoha's battle had been. When she finally trailed of, she found she could not look Hayate in the eye, she felt so guilty. There had been times when she felt worse, when she had done worse, but this was one of Hayate's kids, one of her best and favorite students, and Nanoha had let her get hurt.

"Nanoha-chan," Hayate said after a few seconds of silence, "look at me, Nanoha-chan." Hesitantly, Nanoha did just that, to find a slight, sad smile on her friend's face. "You did nothing wrong, Nanoha-chan. I doubt even Signum could have kept Laura to her orders in that situation, and against Li..." Hayate shook her head slightly, "no, no one could have kept her from fighting him, once she realized who he was. Shamal told the children who was behind this attack, and Laura has always been the most aggressive of them. If Signum had been with her when he appeared, she may have let Signum battle him, but I would not be willing to bet on that. You did what you could, you put her where she had the least chance of being engaged, but the Circles surprised you. They've done that to all of us, repeatedly. There is more than enough blame for this travesty, Nanoha, none of it belongs to you."

"Thank you," Nanoha whispered, squeezing Hayate's hand gently. She had been so scared Hayate would be angry with her, but while there was anger in Hayate's face, it was shuttered, directed elsewhere. Hayate's calm acceptance and sense of confidence helped Nanoha immensely, though she knew she would always feel responsible. It had been her mission, after all.

"I'm afraid I need to ask you another favor, Nanoha-chan," Hayate said after a moment. "I'll be bringing all the parents to the school to inform them of what happened. Would you be willing to help transport them, and help explain?"

"Of course, Hayate-chan," Nanoha told her with what she knew was a weak smile, "anything you need."

"Good, thank you," Hayate replied, "with Takashi disappearing again, I want as many friends on hand as possible." Nanoha blinked, and glanced over at the man apparently sleeping peacefully in the next bed. Hayate chuckled lightly, "he's very good at illusions. He teleported out shortly after I woke up, once he was certain I was going to be okay. Signum did not even notice. He _really_ does not want to talk to anyone from the Bureau."

------------------------------

Signum carried Laura through the ship in silence, heading for one of the less-frequented observation bays, not even noticing how tired and weak she had felt moments before. Her own injuries were of no concern in the face of her apprentice's pain. Given the ship's 'on mission' status, all of the bays would likely be empty, but there was always a chance someone would be there, and Signum wanted privacy and quiet for this. While she did not have details yet, and had never experienced such a moment herself, she did have experience with just such a reaction. Hayate had been utterly inconsolable for days, the one and only time she had been forced to take a life. Laura, Signum knew, would be much worse off, for having been so much more extroverted and confident than her Mistress, and having given it so much less thought beforehand.

She nodded politely to the few crew members she passed, but did not say anything, and they respected her privacy. Laura never made a sound, just huddled in her arms, curled up as tight as she could be, hugging herself painfully tight. Signum had not missed how the girl had clung to Nanoha, but was now avoiding doing so with her. It was disturbing, but understandable.

When they finally reached the smallest of the bays, little bigger than one of the children's dorm rooms but possessed of a full-wall window to open space, Signum closed the door and settled onto the lone couch without a sound. For a few minutes, she just held Laura, rocking side to side a little, letting both of them settle in.

Finally, though, she spoke in a soft tone, "I'm sorry this happened to you, Laura." The girl just shivered a little, though that may have been due to the sound of Signum's voice as much as her words. Signum let it pass, and just continued, "It never should have happened at all, and it is our fault you were placed in such a position. Li was supposed to be ours to deal with, precisely because we did not want to risk this. This was not your fault, Laura. It was ours, and it was his."

She continued in that vein, speaking softly but steadily, always repeating the same non-judgmental refrain. The way she drew back, the way she continued to try not to see or touch anyone, told Signum that Laura was terrified of being blamed and rejected, just as she was blaming herself. So she held her apprentice, and continued to reassure her until she fell asleep. Even after, she continued her refrain, speaking to Laura's hopefully dreaming mind.

She was interrupted when the hatch hissed open, and a powered wheelchair rolled softly into the room. She looked over, expecting Hayate, and blinked in surprise to see Noriko coming into the room slowly. The princess nodded to her, but focused her attention on Laura, guiding the chair a little clumsily around the couch until she was parked sideways in front of Signum. She almost reached out for Laura, but a shake of Signum's head stopped her. Accepting that, Noriko asked, "How is she?"

"I don't know, yet," Signum admitted. "She hasn't said a word. She probably won't until she wakes up."

"Shamal-sensei would not tell me much," Noriko said, "only that she was hurt, and that you were here."

Signum explained what little she knew, and cocked an eyebrow when Noriko made no sympathetic sounds, merely nodded. "I was worried he would get away," Noriko confessed, "though I wish she had not had to go so far. Will she be all right?"

"Will you?" When Noriko gave her a confused look, Signum raised an eyebrow, "I was not informed you were injured, Noriko. Will you be all right?"

Noriko flushed a little, then shrugged. "I will be fine in a few weeks. Senbonzakura will take longer to heal than I will."

"How badly injured were you?"

Another shrug. "Not very. Not like this," she reached to gently touch Laura's arm, then shook her head. "The reflection of Senbonzakura's damage was mostly healed by Doctor Siang, however part of it was neuro-muscular damage, and nerves never heal into quite the same position. I am going to have to relearn how to use my right arm and leg, as well as most of the muscles on my right side. I have not lost control of them, I just... can't use them properly."

"That will take more than weeks," Signum countered, "and is hardly 'not very' injured."

Noriko just smiled a little, "I can heal from this easily, Signum-sensei. Laura is going to have a harder time dealing with this. I doubt she ever even thought about the possibility."

"She didn't," Signum confirmed with a sigh, "she never thought through what combat can mean, and she was not supposed to need to until after she graduated. This is not going to be pretty."

"We'll help," Noriko reassured her, "anything she needs."

"She's going to need acceptance," Signum said, "I remember Hayate after something similar, and... she is going to blame herself, hate herself, fear herself. She will need acceptance, trust, and constant reminders. With Hayate, we distracted her with work and training, forced her to think of other things, but this... your families will all be brought to the school tomorrow or the day after. That is going to be stressful for everyone involved, and she is going to be right in the middle of it."

"We can cover for her," Noriko said, "we'll make sure she's never alone. Do you think we could move her into my room, once we return to the school?"

"Probably a good idea, or possibly with Cid-chan. Considering when this happened, the reminder of what was gained in that battle should give Laura some good to balance the bad. I'll talk with Hayate and Shamal about it. For now, however... could you send Mariachi here? I'm afraid it appears I am still not up for telepathic communications, and I think some music might help."

------------------------------

Yussef watched Takamichi-sensei carry Laura out of the room, and part of him really wanted to go after her. Another part wanted to go back to China, find whoever caused that, and skin the bastard, just as he had wanted to when Noriko staggered back aboard barely able to stand, let alone walk. But he was not confident enough of his understanding of teleports to pull off the latter option, and not confident enough of his ability to navigate this weird ship to pursue the former, so he found himself standing with unaccustomed indecisiveness.

Marcel and Ichigo stepped up next to him, and the Japanese boy asked softly, "Noriko, now Laura. You don't think it's because...?"

The question trailed off incomplete, but Yussef knew what he was asking. "Because they aren't in my Sunday class? No, that isn't why they're hurt."

"You certain of that?"

Yussef gave him a flat glare. "Have you sparred with either of them? I have, once a week since winter vacation. Trust me, those two are more than skilled enough. If anything, I should have been the one to get hurt. My defenses can't really match Noriko's, and Laura has a Velka device."

"They were outmaneuvered," Zafira said from right behind him.

Marcel and Ichigo jumped slightly, but Yussef was used to his teacher, and just turned around, looking up questioningly. "So was I."

Zafira shook his head, "you were ambushed, pinned, but not outmaneuvered. You never got too far from your team, and you were always between them and the enemy. You also were not as badly outnumbered as Noriko and Laura were. I'll have more detailed reviews once we all get a chance to talk this over, but essentially..."

"I was lucky," Yussef finished for him.

"And smart," Zafira added, "you have a better instinct for group combat than Laura or Noriko. You're good enough at it, I'd almost think you're a guardian beast. Now, however, we have a prisoner to secure, and we should clear this bay. Captain Testarossa has been kind enough to provide us with quarters aboard for a few days while we all begin to recover from this, I suggest we all move along and get settled."

'Quarters' proved to be barracks arrangements, one for the boys, one for the girls, and the teachers in officers' quarters. Zafira stayed with them for a while, officially making sure they understood the ship-board rules about where they could and could not go, and how to get help from the crew if necessary. Mostly, Yussef figured, he was checking them over to make sure none of them had any immediate problems after the stress of the day. It had come as a bit of a shock, while they were getting settled, to look at his watch and realize that, despite how much had already happened, it was still shy of six in the morning, Kyoto time. It was hard to reconcile the time with the fact that he felt like collapsing and sleeping for a week.

Once Zafira left, however, the guys gathered round the bunk he had claimed, and he knew sleep was going to have to wait a little longer. "So," he said, "we have our classmates back, our teachers are all getting better, and we appear to have done a lot of damage to these Circle bastards."

"But what's going to happen now?" Marcel asked the question, but it was on all their minds.

"Don't know. That depends on Hayate-sensei's response, and on just how large the Circles really are. The last couple days..." he shrugged eloquently, "the losses they suffered these past couple of days would have been enough, in most wars, to start peace talks. But the Circles have already proven willing to go to extreme lengths – they attacked a school, after all – so they may very well try to continue. But the first thing we're going to have to do, before dealing with them, is figure out how to handle our parents."

"That's not going to be fun," Toshirou commented, "my parents are office workers. They're going to go ballistic like you would not believe."

"I think we can all picture it, Shiro," Luke countered, "since we've all got parents. Even Mariachi's got those nuns, who're scarier, quite frankly."

"And that," Yussef, interrupted the incipient argument, "is our problem. All our parents are going to be frightened for us, angry at our teachers, angry at the Circles, and they're probably going to try to pull us out of the school."

"So we need to figure out how to prevent that," Marcel continued, "how to convince our parents to let us stay. Sorry Yussef, but this time I think we need to bring the girls in on this."

"Not quite, Marcel," Yussef shook his head slightly, "first, we need to decide if _we _want to stay." Marcel blinked, giving him an utterly shocked look. "Close your mouth, man, you look like a fish. We have just been _attacked_, guys, and by professionals. They were aiming to kidnap this time, but after how badly we just handed them their heads, they'll be much more serious next time. The school is going to be more dangerous than before, not much, but more.

"You all need to decide if that danger is something you can handle. If you stay, you're going to have to accept that danger completely. Something one of my teachers back home told us, once. We were talking about armies in general, being a soldier and how dangerous it always is, and he mentioned something called 'assumption of risk'. Basically, if you undertake something you know is dangerous, then you accept that danger can and will be fully realized. If it isn't, great, wonderful. If it is, you need to be prepared for it. That applies here, guys. If you don't think you can handle another attack, then you need to decide that before your parents show up, and tell Hayate-sensei. If you stick around, 'assumption of risk' applies, and if the Circles attack again, you're going to be responsible for helping all of us see them off.

"Talk it over, but don't let anyone else tell you what to do. You need to decide if you can handle it, because if you stick around and you can't handle it, you're guaranteed to get hurt."

The others nodded along as he talked, as he explained, but when he stopped, Marcel cocked an eyebrow at him, "makes sense, Yussef, but... I still think the girls need to hear it as well."

Yussef smiled, "they already have. Niranjana's putting the same question to them now. Noriko would, but she's out looking for Laura."

Ichigo piped up, "Any word on her?"

"Noriko'll be fine..."

"Nah, man," Ichigo cut him off, "I know Riko-chan's fine, Megan told me. How's Laura?"

Yussef just stared at him for a moment, unsure how to answer that question. Finally, he sighed, shook his head, and explained, "You guys know as much as I do, Ichigo. She was hurt, but I don't know how, or how bad. Noriko was going to try to find out."

"She gonna let us know?"

"Of course. Look, I may think the ditz is annoying, but she's one of us. I'm not going to..."

"Whoa, whoa, man," Ichigo held up both hands in a placating gesture, "wasn't saying that, man. Just... no one'll tell us what's wrong with Noriko, or Laura, or Hayate-sensei and Signum-sensei, I just wanted to be sure."

"Noriko will let us know," Yussef repeated, "about both of them, and hopefully all of them." He took a deep breath, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, "and now, while you think about whether or not you want to stay, let's start talking about how to convince our parents to let _us_ make that decision."

------------------------------

The shrill warble of the phone was silenced in just over one second by a finger stabbing the speaker button. "Prince Akishino."

"Good morning, Your Highness."

Akishino leaned back in his chair, glancing once towards the older man across the desk from him. The gentleman shook his head silently, so Akishino continued, "It is good to hear from you, Hidan. How has the morning treated you?"

"Roughly, Your Highness, but I have no complaints."

Akishino relaxed very slightly at that. _Such a simple statement, _he thought, _yet with so many meanings._ "I am sorry to hear of your troubles, old friend. Perhaps a friendly ear could help smooth the day out?"

There was a slight chuckle, "Still too direct, Akishino-kun. A prince needs to practice discretion."

"This from the man who thinks a fastball is the only respectable pitch," Akishino replied with a smile. A shift of his silent guest's posture stifled his amusement, "so, since I am so guilty of directness, shall we dispense with the pleasantries?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Hidan replied, equally serious now. "Your daughter performed well in the opening stages, though she remained distinctly unhappy with my presence. I would offer the humble suggestion of lessons in deportment, so she learns to conceal such weaknesses, but it is a minor consideration in the face of her present capabilities. Especially given the speed with which her classmates reflected her opinion of me. It took a mere frown from her, and I found myself distinctly alone in the crowd."

Hidan proceeded to give a brief account of the attack he had participated in, as well as his impressions from the pre-mission planning, and watching the China team's return. His impressions were overall good, though the easy familiarity displayed by the members of what was supposed to be a military crew drew several negative comments. As he wound down, however, he paused. "There is some bad news, Your Highness. The first is, in some ways, the least worrisome. Your daughter was injured, apparently some sort of nerve damage which has rendered her unable to use her right arm or leg."

Akishino paled as a spike of terror went through him, followed by a surprising amount of anger. Someone had hurt his little girl, and the most basic parts of his brain started pushing to hunt the offender down and do unspecified but probably unpleasant things to them. But the impulse lasted only a moment, and he forced his hands to relax their death grip on each other. "How bad is it?"

"She is conscious, Your Highness," Hidan reported, "and in no pain, but, according to her, her teachers, and the ship's doctor, she is going to have to undergo a great deal of therapy to regain the use of her arm and leg. There is no visible damage, but I believe what they tell me. Several of the children came back, especially from the China mission, with minor abrasions and contusions, none of which are now in evidence. Noriko-sama herself appears both undisturbed by, and determined to overcome, her injuries.

"Far worse, I believe, is Sims-san. She was completely unresponsive when she was brought back aboard the _Asura_, and... she did not have her weapon. I have been told nothing about what happened, but she carried the naginata she named 'Hicho' before her team's departure, and did not have it with her when she returned. None of those who returned from the China site brought it, and I have not yet felt it time to press for details. While the crew here is in good spirits, those from the Academy are all patently worried about Sims-san. I must admit to some concern myself. While she was overly energetic and emotional, before I left I observed a great deal of potential. Her situational awareness and spatial recognition abilities, in particular, were significantly more advanced than anyone else her age I have ever seen."

"Do you know if she was physically injured?"

"I do not believe so, but again, now is not the time to ask. I am only officially responsible for Noriko-sama, and am considered an outsider. If I push for information about another student, I doubt I will get it, and I would not be surprised to be summarily returned to Japan. I felt it better to remain aboard and observe, but I will press for details if you wish."

"No, Hidan," Akishino decided, when his guest made no sign, "I would prefer that you remain aboard and keep an eye on my daughter and her classmates. Thank you, old friend. Having you go with her on this mission eased my mind and heart."

"I live to serve, Your Highness. I will have a detailed report in a few days. I believe I may be able to acquire some post-mission analyses from the Bureau personnel to incorporate."

"Very god, Hidan. And my thanks again."

"I live to serve," Hidan repeated, then cut the connection.

Akishino leaned back into his chair, scrubbing his face with his hands while sending a silent prayer of thanks to all the gods that Noriko was alive. "So," he said after a moment, "better than we had feared, worse than could have been hoped. Are you satisfied so far, Father?"

"Mostly," the Emperor allowed after a moment, "mostly. These gaijin mages have been a thorn in our side for centuries, now, and I am glad of the excuse to act openly against them. You have moved the prisoner, Jin, someplace secure?"

"Yes, Father," Akishino replied, "and caught four Circle mages attempting to break him out. They are currently being held by the JSDF for violating a military reserve, assault on JSDF officers, and a variety of related charges. We can hold them indefinitely while we decide what to do with them."

"Good," the Emperor replied thoughtfully, "then I believe we shall continue to wait. I have been impressed with the girl so far, but let us see how she responds to the gaijin. We will formulate our own response based on hers. Which reminds me, you contacted the students' families?"

Akishino nodded, understanding precisely what was said, and accepting the change in subject. This would be both a test of Yagami Hayate's personality and strength, and also allow them to retain Japan's freedom of action. Whether she went too far, or not far enough, Japan could take whatever steps necessary to emerge from this incident stronger and safer. He just wished that freedom of action was not now based in part on his daughter's injuries. "Yes, Father," he answered after a moment, "Shamal-san requested it, as a favor. Save for the Maricopas, and Sister Magdalena, I told them only that their children were safe, but that insuring that safety and conducting our investigation was taking time, and that the crisis was not yet over. They were understandably upset, and several are already on the way here, in spite of my requests for patience. It will be a very tense few days, once they do arrive."

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"You found all of them?"

"There were twelve, My Lord, of whom eleven remain. The second I contacted proved... contrary. I know who his successor was, if you desire."

"So long as you will recognize him."

"Of course, My Lord. How do you wish to handle this? Lady Yagami wishes to speak to them at her convenience."

"Hughes says they are holding a conference, yes?"

"To discuss the recent set-backs, yes My Lord."

Takashi nodded, humming in the back of his throat for a minute. Then he smiled, a predatory expression fit to send any shark fleeing in terror. "Set-backs indeed, Akira. I think it's time they met the enemy."

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Hayate insisted on a return to the campus once the students had slept for a few hours. While she was grateful to Fate for the rescue and all her assistance, the ship was definitely crowded with so many extra people aboard, especially as experts began arriving via teleport to study the dislocation in the Egyptian desert and to interrogate their newest prisoners. Hayate wanted to get her children out of that environment, back to one they would find more familiar. Even with the attack, she thought, and they agreed, that the students would find the campus a more comfortable environment.

So shortly after noon, Vita and Zafira appeared at the overlook, and after a brief discussion with the JSDF Captain still guarding the area, and pushed the thinned out cluster of journalists back to a safe distance. Once that was done, Shamal, Fate and Nanoha teleported the students, Hayate, and Signum, from the _Asura_ to the overlook. Vita had to block the overlook with a shield to hold back the sudden surge of people snapping pictures and shouting questions, but the students merely turned away and followed their teachers down the path and walked to the campus. Once there, for a few minutes they merely stood in the quad and stared, taking in the shattered windows and broken doors with somber silence.

"Yussef, Noriko," Zafira broke the silence, "you're leads on this. Noriko, take the girls and go check your rooms. Yussef, do the same with the boys. If you find structural damage, note it and move on. Check your rooms and make sure your personal things aren't too badly damaged. We'll meet in the cafeteria in one hour."

There was surprisingly little damage in the dorms. The damage Megan inflicted in her break-out, the locks on the front doors, and a couple windows in front, but all of that was relatively minor. Only Cid-chan's room was badly damaged, but the Circle troops had been interested in them, not in their personal effects. So when they met in the cafeteria, it became a simple matter of organizing a moving party for Cid-chan, Natalia and Allison, who each had rooms in the first floor rear corridor, to rooms in the front hall. Yussef, Luke and Zafira managed, while the others moved, to put together temporary catches for the still-standing doors, and to nail the rear door of the Girls Wing in place until it and its frame could be replaced. After that, they moved about the campus in small groups, noting things that would need repair for later attention, until dinner came around.

Throughout that time, Laura remained withdrawn and subdued, a quiet non-presence. She did what she was asked to do, but once done with that, she would often stop and simply stare, not seeing but obviously stuck in that single moment. She refused to speak beyond whispers to Signum, barely even acknowledging anyone else. When dinner began, she simply disappeared, though Signum insisted she was nearby and in no danger.

Yussef could not stand how she was acting, so depressed, so withdrawn, such a fragile broken thing. At first, he wanted to yell at her, to grab her and shake some sense in her, but he knew that was a bad idea, and the more he watched, the more he realized that, wherever she was, one of the teachers was always close at hand, and they were frequently pulling her aside to talk to her, hug her, caress her hair, being as comforting and gentle as possible, and realized there had to be more than the lost fight he had originally thought caused her despondent attitude.

Finally, at dinner, Hayate explained to them what had happened, and Yussef found himself even more confused. Given Li's apparent skill, and all their teachers insisted that, enhanced as he was, _they_ would have had difficulty capturing him, the mere fact of her survival was something to be happy about. The fact that she not only survived, but won the fight, should have been cause for joyous celebration. Given what Li had done, what he had apparently said to her, Yussef would have still been in China dancing on his grave. In fact, by the time the explanation was finished, he was trying to figure out if he could do just that – go to China and spit on the ruins. Regardless, he found he simply could not fathom why Laura was such a wreck.

After dinner, he stepped outside and began looking for Laura. Rather than traipsing about in the cold and dark, he parked himself on one of the benches, and called on Zulfiqar's dormant form to carefully scan out from the school. He felt someone else move close, but they did not interrupt, so he ignored them for a few moments, until he found a telltale bit of magic that was not a ward, and was not one of his fellow students.

When he opened his eyes, he found Noriko sitting in her wheelchair, waiting calmly for him, the damaged Senbonzakura cradled in her lap. She nodded to him politely, then asked softly, "Where is she?"

"Up on a cliff," Yussef said, "I was going to go talk to her. Can you come?"

In answer, she smiled and floated up out of the chair. "Don't ask for any wild maneuvers, but I can manage this. Shall we?"

Noriko's flight really was unsteady, so he hung back a bit to catch her if she fell, but Laura's perch was not that far, and a few minutes later, as the moon peeked over the mountainsides, they approached a roughly triangular ledge jutting out just below the tree line. Seated at its tip, knees drawn up to her chin, was Laura, staring out over the campus. In silence, the two of them moved to sit to either side of her, Noriko close enough to lean against her, Yussef a little further away.

"Hey, Laura-chan," Noriko whispered, "we heard what happened, finally."

Laura tensed visibly, drawing herself in tighter, then whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Yussef commented, "I wanted a piece of that bastard."

"Yussef," Noriko hissed.

"He's right," Laura whispered, "I... I lost it, Noriko. Totally berserk. Signum told me and told me and told me that my temper was going to get me in trouble, and now I've killed someone."

"He pushed you to that, Laura," Noriko said, trying to be reassuring, "he was an old and experienced manipulator. He was trying to break you, to get you to make a mistake, and he underestimated you badly."

"Frankly, Laura, I don't think you had any other option," Yussef said. "Li was hardcore, a real True Believer, from what Shamal-sensei says. He would not have stopped short of doing just what he said – killing all of us, and our families. He was too good, and too determined, to stop."

Laura just shook her head. "I know that. You don't get it, Yussef. I killed him, and that bothers me, but not as much as how and why. I was so pissed, so out of control... I reached out my hand and my magic, and I crushed him like an egg, _after_ I beat him. All that's left of him is a smear on the ground, and I did that, not because he had to die, not to get out of losing... I did it because I was angry at him." Her voice rose a little, and she ground out, "I. Lost. It. _Completely_. And it's still there, I know it is. My temper never goes away, it just takes a break. What if I do it again? What if I get pissed at my brother, and do that to him? What if I get that pissed at you, Yussef? That'd be real easy, most of the time. I'm so scared that I'll do that again."

"You won't," Noriko told her, "your temper isn't that bad. Kami-sama, Laura, _all _of us wanted to hurt him. When we heard what he said to you, most of us wanted to kill him ourselves."

She continued in that vein, and Laura just listened. Yussef half-listened, but something about her was off, something seemed imbalanced, beyond just her personality. It took him almost ten minutes to realize what it was. "Laura," he said, interrupting yet another attempt by Noriko to convince Laura to cheer up, "Where's Paradox?"

She actually flinched, as if he had hit her, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he realized that, emotionally, that was exactly what he had done. But she whispered, "I gave him to Hayate-sensei." Noriko gasped in shock, instinctively gripping her own device tighter, and Yussef's hand went to Zulfiqar as well. "I can't be trusted with him," Laura continued, tears starting to flow down her cheeks, "I'm too dangerous, too unstable. If I loose it again, now I'm the only one I can hurt. You were right, Yussef. You were on my case all year about how someone was going to get hurt, and you were right."

He frowned at her twisting what he had been trying to tell her, and had to struggle not to growl at her, "there is a world of difference between endangering your classmates through negligence, and battling an enemy out to kill you. You are no more dangerous in that respect that Noriko or I."

"You haven't killed anyone."

He shook his head, feeling his own temper rise, "No, I haven't. But then, if it was someone like Li, I wouldn't care." He started to say more, then realized that now was not the time. She was no more going to listen now than Noriko was going to let him continue. So he just shook his head again, and took to the air, "I'm going back. I'll let Signum-sensei know where you two are. Don't stay here too late."

He did not, however, head right back to the dorms. Halfway there, his thoughts on the matter gave him an idea, and he altered course towards Hayate's house. He touched down on the walk by the door, rang the bell, and politely waited until Vita opened it. "Apologies for disturbing you, sensei," he said, "but I was wondering if I could speak with Hayate-sensei about Laura?"

------------------------------

Author's Note: _Requiescat in Pace_ is a Latin phrase translated as, 'may he rest in peace', a Christian prayer for the dead more commonly know in the English form of 'Rest In Peace' used on gravestones. I personally prefer the Latin version, to satisfy my own pretentious affectations:).

------------------------------

Spells:

Jupiter's Fist: this spell was supposed to be Laura's response to material defenses – doors, walls, mountains, etc. She must touch the target, as well as visualizing what the entire target is in her mind. That target is then subjected to gravitational force towards its own center roughly equivalent to that at the surface of Jupiter (there is, according to some theories, an actual physical surface to Jupiter – where the pressures become so intense that even Jupiter's gases are compressed to a solid state). Needless to say, this is sufficient to crush any human-built target. It is based on the spell Crushing Fist of Jupiter from the role-playing game Rifts.

------------------------------

First off, a general reply...

Thank you all my reviewers for your understanding and encouragement – you've helped me calm down about this a great deal. Last chapter, and this one, made me very nervous (as the sheer number of author's notes no doubt revealed). A more detailed explanation (now that I've had a little more time to think it over) is that, whatever has happened in StrikerS, Nanoha and Nanoha As only portrayed four deaths – none of which were caused by the heroes, and only two of which were actually shown on-screen. Chrono's father was destroyed by the Tome of the Night Sky when it was still the Book of Darkness, but he had a hero's death saving his crew, and the actual event wasn't shown, just his ship blowing up. Precia's daughter Alicia died before the series, but again it was not shown, only a flashback of the accident that caused it. Precia's own death was opposed by Fate and Nanoha, to the point of risking their own lives. The closest the heroes ever came to killing was at the end of As, when the original Reinforce was sealed away (effectively dead, in my opinion), though that was at her request and, as with Chrono's father, a heroic self-sacrifice. Li's death at Laura's hands was definitely not heroic, and neither were her reasons, however much Li deserved it. Also, Li's behavior towards Laura was almost as abusive as Precia's towards Fate, and that always made me uncomfortable – I won't watch the infamous 'whipping scene', for instance. So, I thought I might be going a little too far. Your reviews have been a great reassurance in this regard, so once again, my thanks.

TheWhiteMonk: Yup, Li's threats backfired on him big time. There's a chance for the Circles to learn, but I'm not sure yet how well they're going to take to those lessons.

pfeil: Yup, I've seen Mai Otome, though to be honest, it was so long ago (I watched the fan-subs as they were released) I'd kinda forgotten it. I guess Bolt From the Blue is related to Arika's attack, but mostly in spirit rather than specifics. Error noted, I'll post it with the rest of the corrections after the story's finished.

Ray Venn Hakubi: Yeah, Laura was very nearly a true berserk in that moment. I wasn't worried about her use of Hicho, but about her use of Jupiter's Fist. Last chapter was supposed to be a bit of a question, but between that and this chapter, it's pretty clear just how far Laura went. I'm happier with it now that all of you have reviewed and no one's taken umbrage. The development of Laura's character has really taken over, though. Nanoha's opening shot was not so much about clearing the Circle's wards as about getting their attention. She didn't want to get too violent right off the bat and risk causing some sort of structural collapse near Cidela. Besides, her full-power strikes would be massive overkill, even for the enhanced Circle mages. Her restraint was entirely based on avoiding 'friendly fire'.

CrimsonDX: Last chapter's warnings were about both last chapter and this one, entirely because of Li's mouth and method of exit. Laura has, more than I intended, become the focus character, mostly because she is so hyper and creative. All the other characters have personality limits of some sort, while Laura doesn't appear to. Explanations of 'how things work' has always been interesting to me, so try to fulfill that interest, without getting too unbelievable. I actually went too far with Natalia, though in a different way than with these last two chapters.

Kell Shock: I'll generally agree that Nanoha doesn't really do 'subtle', but she means well, and was trying to avoid any collateral damage. Rafiq's comment was mostly because I don't like doing a chapter without some humor, since no matter how serious, since most of the people I hang out with can and do find humor in almost any situation. Also, the rescue of Cidela was the reason I snuck Rafiq in so late – I couldn't think of a way to track her down once she was taken. Mariachi and Allina were easy, but it's hard to find a healer. Laura learned a lot of lessons fighting Li, about combat and herself, I'm afraid. The cartridge count is actually written in last chapter, but for simplicity – she used six fighting Li after he initially engaged, managed a complete reload, used one more to take out one of Li's supporting mages, then used the rest (5!) to break Gaia's Anchor. I could have used 'Newton's Fist', and it might have been thematically more accurate, but... it just doesn't sound as scary. Plus, it's a 'borrowed' spell, so I held onto as much of the name as possible, but 'Crushing Fist of Jupiter' just takes too long to say:).

Hap: Don't worry, if I post a sequel, it'll be solely because I want to. I tend to run in the other direction when someone tries to push me to do something, so no worries on that score.

liingo: Three chapters in two weeks! A side effect of planning these bits for too long, and having a five day weekend with nothing to do:). Keeping things dangerous keeps it interesting – I used to be really bad about never actually putting my heroes at risk but have mostly learned that lesson. I'm thinking I should've hit Yussef harder, though. As I told pfeil, yes I've seen Mai Otome, but forgot Arika's attack until you two reminded me. Sorry to disappoint, but getting away from the base was relatively easy – Laura's last Bolt was almost forty cartridges in simultaneous release, and most of that energy went out in the magical equivalent of an EMP. Without a device to buffer them, no mage was going to remain functional around that. I'll watch StrikerS eventually, if only so I can understand some of the Wikipedia entries I've seen recently.

Tuskiyasou: I'm glade you like the spells, though I have to admit, Bolt From the Blue is entirely stolen – from one of my own RPG characters:) – mechanic type who couldn't stand up to a stiff wind, used drones he built for defense. I understand and mostly agree with your assessment of 'fanfiction', it's just I'm a worrier, so I worry. I've also gotten some mild complaints about 'not enough canon characters', and I do listen to my reviewers. I'll try again to put together some sort of 'how I do it' guide to writing, but I've had trouble writing it out, so please don't hold me to it:). And just to re-iterate, I _really_ didn't like the whipping scene at all.

seaotter: Gotta love vacations, even when they're not. As Kell Shock does, I have trouble seeing Nanoha managing 'subtle', though she means well in trying, and I really liked the idea of a bunch of Circle mages being woken up by mage-induced earthquakes. I'd agree Laura's scary, but I think I'll stick to the nickname 'Quantum Knight', though the Circles may very well call her something less complimentary. Li was very good, but in the end, he was beaten by precisely what he feared most in device-mages – the sheer power at their command. I'd have to disagree on the familiars, since the four shown (okay, three and a guardian beast), all have humanoid forms, and I tend to see them more as loyal lieutenants who depend on their masters for power. D&D familiars seem to me to be more extensions of their master, than the independent familiars of the Nanoha-verse. Allison's definitely the guerrilla of the group, and the scout, and will probably be voted 'most likely to go postal', in their last year. I actually want to do a little more with her in a Side Story, I just need to put together a good plot for it. I hadn't actually thought about how Rafiq speaks, but now that you've brought it up, it's probably a short-range broadcast telepathy, with an Egyptian accent.

Natimus Prime: Thanks for the compliments, and the thoughts. I hadn't even thought about the canon crew growing out of their initial idealism or naivety, though I'm not sure if I'll pursue that. Even Lindy always struck me as 'nicer' than her rank and age would indicate. The Circle's I'll deal with soon, I think you'll be pleased. And thank you for the comments on my characters. The worlds need work, but I've started on that again, so... maybe. I don't think I'll ever try to get published though – at that point, it would stop being 'play' and become 'work', and thus not fun.


	28. 28 New Dawn

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 28 – New Dawn -

As the last of the silent video played itself out on the display, Hughes, flicked on the lights and stood away from the wall he had been leaning on. He walked across to shut off the video display, but left the trio of projected images on the whiteboard behind it, giving his audience time to adjust to the changed lighting. When he turned around, they were all watching him with varying degrees of shock.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that was the reason why I asked you all here," he said, getting a feel for how they were doing. He had picked the baker's dozen carefully, for their skill and their practicality, and they proved their resilience by watching him attentively, rather than staring in shock. "You have heard the initial reports, you've seen the aftermath. Now we need to decide where to go from here... decide, what, if anything, we can do to mitigate the damages and attempt to preserve at least some of the Circles."

Jennifer Leuden, one of the women in back and a distant associate he knew only through the Circles, spoke up first, "How harsh is the response likely to be?"

Hughes grimaced slightly, "I'm afraid that depends on who controls it. If the Asia Directorate is correct, and Hayate Yagami is dead, then it will be very bad indeed. If, on the other hand, she remains alive, and is functional enough to exert her will, which I assure you is quite formidable despite her age, then any reprisals will be more restrained. Bad, mind you – she is no soft-brained academic, and she is going to want some measure of revenge – but she is an altogether more forgiving person than her subordinates."

"You've met her and one other, right?" This from one of the men in front, an old classmate both at college and in the Circles, Samuel Usher. "Was the Shamal woman that bad?"

"Not Shamal," Hughes explained, "a man by the name of Akira. He was beyond evil. I spent a few hours answering his questions, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that he makes the worst politician in Washington look like a martyred saint. If Hayate is not in control of the response, he will be, and we will most likely be dead."

"He can't be that strong."

"You've all taken a look at the defenses I've built around this base, yes?" His audience nodded, so Hughes continued, "my office is at the heart of those, and he waltzed into it, via some sort of teleport, without triggering so much as a single ward. Not the hostility detectors, not the power detectors, _nothing_. Power is irrelevant, Sam. Akira can reach any of us, at any time. Then there's this," his fist hit the board, not quite a slam but close to it, next to the central picture. "That used to be the Asian Directorate's headquarters, Sam. The fourth greatest concentration of mages in the world, including more Master Adepts than anywhere else short of Geneva itself. As of four hours ago, it's a smoking hole in the ground, along with the PLA base that was supposed to protect it from anything.

"Li tried direct opposition, Sam. We're still figuring out what it cost us."

"I heard the missing was up to seven hundred," Gerard DeSang commented from the side, "just from the HQ. How bad was it in India and the Ukraine?"

Hughes shook his head, "We don't actually know since all three locations have been locked up tight by the Lords. I had to get these overheads from US Air Force satellites, and the video from a stringer for a journalist friend. A number of our brothers and sisters were burned out, some of them may die, but everyone at the Asia headquarters is gone. You'll note where Akira was during all this, however... gathering information on us."

"And you just gave it to him," Sam muttered darkly.

"The dead don't have much influence on the living," Hughes shot back. "I admit, I told him everything. Some of you who know me understand the problems I had with this mission all along, why I 'could not find suitable personnel' to assist Li's grand scheme. So when Akira came after me for information, I gave it to him. Because I did that, because I gave him no reason to kill me and every reason to leave me alive, we now have a chance to actually think about this, about what we learned from Li's boondoggle, and possibly to salvage something from it."

Leuden spoke up again, "Did you make a deal with him? Something we can use?"

Hughes shook his head again, "I made no deal with Akira." He held up a hand to forestall the instant protests, "Akira is worse than Congress, remember? He would make whatever deal he wanted to, keep it as long as he felt like it, and break it when it was convenient for him to do so. What I intend to do, and what I want all of you to help me do, is make a deal with Hayate Yagami. One that will let at least some of the Circles survive and give us a chance to do what we should have done in the first place – keep an eye on her and her students. Better to watch them, earn their trust, and actually know what they are doing. Then, if they prove as dangerous as the traditions claim, we can act quietly, quickly, and without giving them warning."

"You're talking about making a deal with our declared enemies," Sam insisted, "without the approval of the Lords. This is treason, Gar. You're an old friend, I mean that, but... this is treason."

Hughes just chuckled, "Do you know why they say treason never prospers, Sam?"

Sam just shook his head, looking worried and confused, but the answer came from Teri Maunders, "I believe, sir, you're referring to the old saying that, if treason prospers, none dare call it treason."

Hughes nodded to her, "thank you, Sergeant, that is exactly what I meant. And as a further point, we're all Americans here – citizens of a country who's very existence is the result of one of the most brazen and successful acts of treason in human history. As for what we are doing, unless they are very lucky, the Lords are not going to come out of this with their power intact. If Hayate controls the response, they will probably live, but they will be under her gaze and her thumb no matter what. If we make a deal with Hayate now, they won't be able to act against us without drawing her wrath, and stirring rebellion in the ranks. Once the full scope of this disaster gets out, any attempt to continue persecuting Hayate directly will generate that rebellion, don't think it won't. It may be quiet, but the Lords are not going to have the political strength to hold the lower ranks any more, not after these losses. We can offer them a way to regain that control, to preserve the Circles, if we act quickly and decisively."

Next to Jennifer, Alston Pryde asked, "How do you get around the fact that they're heretics?"

"I don't," Hughes admitted, "Hayate's and Shamal's capabilities are terrifying. Shamal, on her own, sealed a stable fracture in a _single day_, and it was more than simple power. You all know how fractures respond to brute force, you know how delicate repairing one is. So yes, what they can do scares the bejeezus out of me. But frankly, so did Li's methods. Li's killed more Circle mages in the past year than we lost to operations in the prior decade, and that's not including what we lost in the last three days." Hughes shook his head slowly, "no, I'm not comfortable with any of this, but it's the best bet for preserving at least something of the Circles, and giving us a chance to fulfill our oaths to protect this world from corruption. We can't stop it now, but we can buy ourselves the time and information necessary to stop it later."

"You seriously think we can't stand against them directly?" Alston seemed more able to understand that than the others, but was still struggling with it. "I mean, they only took on a couple of Wolf-packs. If we brought enough circles..."

"We would get more people killed, and not the enemy," Hughes insisted, and slammed his fist into the board again. "_Look at this!_ That's seven or eight square kilometers _gone_. Not 'wrecked', not 'deforested', they ground the entire site, the HQ and military base, down to _bedrock_, and there's no trace of any of the people that were there. Six hundred mages and their families, two entire regiments of the PLA plus air support, all of them just _vanished_ like a fart in the wind. No bodies, no signatures, no messages. And they did this immediately after two other strikes," he gestured at the overheads of New Delhi and the Ukraine, "where they faced our Wolf-packs with half-trained children. Two of their three strongest mages are nowhere to be found, and the third was here interrogating me, yet they still managed _this_. No, we can't stand against them directly."

"What about this 'Bureau' I've seen referenced in the intel reports," Jennifer asked, "any chance they were involved or could be convinced to become involved in our favor?"

"I don't know, there is not enough information on them. The Doctor had some sort of connection to them, through intermediaries, but that connection was lost with him in China. They might involve themselves, though I can't say when or how, but I would not bet on it, and in fact hope against it. Remember, they trained Hayate in her device, so they would constitute more fallen, however much help they provided against Hayate."

"All due respect, Colonel," Maunders commented, "but I think you've already got a plan and a deal in mind. Can we move on to that? I've got new kids on watch tonight that I need to surprise."

Hughes studied her for a moment, but knew better than to call her on either her use of military forms in a civilian environment, or her pushing a senior officer. Maunders, like any veteran sergeant, was a law unto herself in many ways. Looking around, he could see that, despite evident doubts, she was right. "Here's the idea..."

------------------------------

The return of the parents to the school was accomplished in much the same manner as their first trip, at the start of the school year. There were differences, however. For the most part, they were more concerned with making sure their children were unharmed than with looking around. Not even Yussef's parents batted an eye when, after being teleported in by Shamal, they found themselves airborne on a direct course for the yard.

The entire incident had, counting the 'recovery day' after the rescues, taken four days, and in that time, had become the news item of the month. While the initial reports had been based on the military column sealing off the school, video of blatantly impossible acts had combined with rumors of a kidnapped member of the Imperial Family to make the story a national event in Japan. Early on the morning of the fourth day, when three similar incidents, all quite public and very spectacular, occurred, the story became an international event. The reports of 'flying sorcerers' and 'lightning witches', as well as a few very poor video and still images from all over the world, were enough to convince audiences everywhere that the three attacks were related. Whispers and rumors of shadow wars and alien invasion quickly ran rampant.

While the incident in China was initially only rumored, by noon some enterprising soul had acquired and distributed world wide satellite overheads of a brand new, elliptical crater in western China, along with day-before images showing the facilities that were once there. A statement by officials in the Japanese government, refuting the kidnapping rumors and requesting patience and even-headed consideration of all events, convinced everyone that the rumors were true, and that all four incidents were related. The rumors of war and invasion escalated rapidly.

So the crowd of parents arriving at the school in mid-morning, Kyoto time, were understandably upset, worried, and more than a little bit scared. The fact that those who brought them were either grim-faced or wearing patently false smiles over obvious tension did not help, though only a couple of the parents noticed that their transporters were not just tense, but actively on guard against attack.

Two families came in before the others, though even they had to wait for mid-morning, the Sims and the Maricopas, the latter brought straight from the airport after their plane landed. Fate met them in the jetway itself, arranged for their bags to be retrieved by the airport's staff, and teleported them out almost before they were clear of their fellow passengers. The Sims were also brought over early, by Shamal, who first gave them an explanation of what had happened, why, and why they were being brought in early.

The Sims arrived first, to find almost everyone at the school busy in the dorms, cleaning up and preparing for their own families. Jonathan studied them for a moment, and noted immediately that Laura was not among them. He did his best to ignore Marie's grip on his hand tightening painfully when she realized that, and instead focused on the two women making their way through the stilling crowd. Hayate looked rather smaller than he remember, somber and drained, leaning heavily on her staff Reinforce as she walked. The hologram of Reinforce, in contrast, looked like she was on a razor's edge, narrowed eyes scanning him very carefully, when she was not glaring in concern at Hayate.

"Welcome, Mister and Misses Sims," Hayate said softly once she reached speaking distance. She hesitated, then bowed deeply, and held it for a second. When she straightened again, she looked like she was on the verge of tears, "I am so very sorry this happened. I cannot apologize enough for our failures."

Jonathan held up a hand to prevent her from continuing, and looked around, taking in the faces. The teachers were all looking on with stone-faced determination, unreadable. The students were another story, looking on with varying degrees of concern, defensiveness, and challenge. His look around showed all but two people – his daughter, and Signum. "I think, Miss Yagami, that you are a little quick to assume guilt. Shamal says you were attacked first?"

Hayate hesitated, then nodded. "A trap, in Egypt. The attack on the school was timed off that trap."

Jonathan noted how she said that, the short minimal answers, and asked, "That close, was it?"

She blinked, then gave him a slight wry smile. "I keep forgetting you were military, Mister Sims. It was very close. Were it not for Signum's over-protectiveness, and Takashi's proximity, I would most likely have died, in the moment or soon afterwards."

"You came back from a near fatal trap, turned a surprise attack on your school around, then organized and pulled off a trio of rescues, all in two days," He gave her a doubtful look before finishing, "and you're apologizing?"

"Shamal and Fate did most of that, and the students. Regardless of how well we recovered, we should not have allowed it to happen in the first place."

"Yussef, Noriko and Laura did most of it, you mean," one of the boys commented, then flushed when everyone turned to look at him.

"Yes, Toushiro those three led the charge," Zafira agreed, then turned to frown at Yussef. "Against orders, I might add."

"Miss Yagami," Marie said, "I know you want to explain, but Shamal's already told us enough for now. Please, where's my daughter?"

Hayate looked like she wanted to say something more, then nodded slightly. "Signum has her out at the sparring ring. We gave her some time to herself, but she seemed to get worse, so... Signum has been keeping her busy today."

"Better response than space," Jonathan muttered, "Laura needs activity. It was out past the classrooms, yes?" Hayate nodded, and Marie immediately turned for the door, but Jonathan just stood there, until she tugged on his hand. He turned around, freed his hand from hers, and took her by the shoulders. "Stay here, Marie. I'll bring her over in a little while."

Marie's worried frown turned into an outright glare. "I'm going to see my daughter," she growled.

"Not yet you're not," he answered easily. "You're going to cry, and yell, and carry on the same way you always do. That's fine when it's a broken arm, scuffed knees, or suspension for fighting, but not this time. I'll go talk to her, you stay here, lend a hand and get the full story. I'll bring her over when she's ready."

Marie glared at him a moment longer, then slumped a little. He pulled her into a hug, and she muttered, "I'm her mother. She's my little girl. Can't I be worried about her?"

"Sure," he whispered back, "but she doesn't need a mother right now. Brian would be better for this, but he's out of touch in the field. Just give me a little while, you can cry all over her then."

He found Laura and Signum right where he had been told, sparring. He had never really understood why Brian and Laura enjoyed it so much, all the fancy leaping about and mystical clap-trap bored him silly, but the fact that they did enjoy it had been enough. The fact that, for all its silliness, it meant his little girl could protect herself had been a welcome plus, but it was still not something he had any interest in, or understanding of. Despite that lack of understanding, when he paused at the corner of the building to watch, he could tell that Laura was holding back, being very cautious and far from her usual exuberant self.

Signum noticed him first, and signaled a halt. Jonathan took that as an invitation to approach, and checked only slightly when Laura turned to look at him, then spun away and hung her head. Frowning, he called out, "you better not be trying to hide from me, Laura. Your mother and I have been worried sick about you, and now you're hiding? I don't think so."

She flinched a little, but turned around to face him again, and seeing that forlorn look on her normally impish face was heartbreaking. He stopped at the edge of the training circle, and held out his arms. "Come here."

She did not, quite, run, but a moment later she barreled into him, and he pulled her up into a hug. "You been causing trouble again?" She shook her head silently, and he chuckled, "well, that's a pleasant change. I guess you have been learning things here."

"I'll leave you two alone," Signum said, nodding to him once, then striding towards the dorms.

Once she was gone, he set Laura down, pushing her back a little to look at her. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really," she muttered, looking at the ground again.

"Too bad," he told her. She twitched, and almost glared at him like she used to, only to find him giving her a steady, serious look. "I want to talk about, which means you're going to have to. Your teachers told us everything they know, but they don't know everything that happened. You do, and I want to hear it."

"Can't we just go home?"

He could not keep from grunting in surprise at that, especially the plaintive, whining tone. He had not thought she would ever want to leave Kyoto, and if she wanted to go now, like this... Any sympathy he felt faded rapidly, and his voice was harder when he told her, "No, we can't. In fact, that question right there's almost enough to convince me to leave you here to finish. You have a problem, things are harder than you or I thought they'd be. You're willing to just walk away? To quit?"

"I killed someone, Daddy. I got mad at him, and I killed him."

"What, you think I haven't? Five years in the Army, Laura, most of it in Korea. That DMZ's not as peaceful as the politicians like to pretend."

"You left the Army," she whispered.

"Yup. Not because of Korea, though. Your mother asked me to, when Brian came along. She wanted to be near our families, and I agreed. I didn't quit because things got tough, and I didn't raise my kids to do it either. Now tell me what happened."

------------------------------

The Maricopa's arrival was close on the Sims' heels. Allina was helping with the clean up, until she felt the second teleport, and Fate's telepathic warning reached her. For just a moment, she froze in panic. _Crap, I'm not ready for this yet!_

"Allina-chan? Are you all right?"

She un-froze, and forced a smile, "Ah... I'm fine, 'Jana-chan, just... remembered I forgot to give Aria-sensei some stuff, codes we picked up the other night. I'm gonna go get them, 'kay?"

Niranjana nodded, setting down the half-folded cloth she had been spreading over a table. "I'll go with you."

"I'm just going to my room, you don't have to..." Allina started to say, then trailed off as Niranjana's face settled into a flat look. It was not quite a frown, but she knew the Indian girl well enough to recognize 'stubborn' when she saw it. So she sighed, shrugged, "fine, fine, be that way. Come on." Niranjana had, since leaving the castle, not let Allina out of her sight until lights-out. Even then, she woke Allina that morning, rather than wait for her to get up, and Allina was getting a little nervous about how clingy her best friend was being.

Still, Niranjana following her around was not really that bad, so she turned and headed for her room, barely hesitating when Niranjana grabbed her hand to follow along. Once there she managed to free her hand to go rifling through the pile of debris on her desk to find her keyboard and mouse. Once she had both, she started digging through her network, transferring files to her school PDA. She paused a few moments later on hearing a weird grumble, to grin as Niranjana began tidying up her usual mess. Resuming her search, she commented, "you can leave that, you know. It's just going to get messy again."

"That is no reason to live in a pigsty," Niranjana commented. "Honestly, Allina, you're worse than my cousins! Is it that hard to pick up after yourself?"

Allina shrugged, feeling more embarrassed than when her mother told her the same thing, but turned back to her work. "Ah! Got it!" She straightened up, sliding the PDA into a back pocket. "Come on, let's go find Aria-sensei!"

Niranjana gave up, tossing the pile of clothes in her arms into one relatively coherent pile. She still frowned at the general mess, and as Allina headed out the door muttered, "pigs aren't this messy."

Allina just looked back over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue, without slowing. They reached the dining hall once more, and Allina managed to convince Niranjana to return to preparing the tables. While they worked on that, she kept stealing glances out the doors, trying to get a glimpse of her parents' arrival. The Sims' arrival had added to her worries, though Laura's mother was now simply lending a hand, at least _appearing_ to becalm.

She was surprised when, instead of walking around the corner of the building as she had expected, they landed in the courtyard, carried by Fate's magic. They were still far enough away, however, for her to try and avoid her most pressing concern. She hesitated just long to be sure Niranjana was looking another way, then bolted. Wrapping herself in a beginner's version of Allison's cloak, she wormed her way through her fellow students and out the doors before her parents or sister noticed.

Seeing her mother and father standing there relieved fears and insecurities she had not even realized she felt, a rush of euphoric sensation as the nightmare idea of the Circles taking her parents proved false. If she had not been so caught up in the moment, she might have been embarrassed that she was actually crying, but at the time everything but her parents' presence went out of her head completely. "Mãe! Pai!"

"Precious!" Her somewhat unsteady run was interrupted by her mother, catching her up in a crushing hug, "Oh, Precious, we were so worried about you!" A moment later, her father wrapped the two of them up in a larger hug, and the next few minutes were spent reassuring one another over and over again that they were all fine.

Finally, they recovered enough to pull back, and Allina suddenly found herself arm's length, being given a quick visual inspection by both parents. The attention made her a little nervous, as did returning awareness of just how close certain other people were, which made her chuckle a little, "I'm fine, Mãe."

"You were kidnapped, Precious," her mother replied, frowning now. "You're sure those animals didn't try anything funny?"

"What, aside from not feeding me 'cause I mouthed off to the b... witch that kept giving me orders?"

That actually made her father chuckle. It was more of a cough, quickly choked, off, but he was giving her an amused but disbelieving look. "You didn't."

She grinned back, "Uh huh. I blew up her cellphone, then her watch, the pen in her pocket, anything I could. Almost got her keys, too, but metal takes too long to melt, she managed to shield 'em." Allina turned a grimace on Fate then, "I'm pissed, actually. Testarossa-san got me out before I finished with her. I needed more time to drive her completely insane."

"It was judged better to return you quickly," Fate explained, "than to leave you in dangerous circumstances. However 'fun' you thought it was."

Allina just stuck out her tongue, which caused her mother to suck in a breath to chastise her. Before that could happen, however, someone got the jump on her.

"Allina-chan," Niranjana's voice was quite calm, placid even, but it sent shivers down Allina's spine. "You disappeared on me, Allina-_chan_."

Allina spun about, and plastered a rather weak attempt at smile on her face. "Ah! 'Jana-chan! I... ah... I got a little excited, Mãe and Pai are here. Sorry, I... kinda..."

Niranjana raised one eyebrow, then finished Allina's trailed off sentence, "... disappeared on me. Worried me." Then she quite deliberately turned away, just a little, and switched to lightly accented Portuguese, "Good morning, Mister and Missus Maricopa. I am Niranjana Konoth, one of your daughter's classmates."

Allina flinched at that, and at the sudden sound of interest her mother made. "Oh _really_," her mother drawled, then held out her hand, which Niranjana politely shook. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Niranjana. Allina has told us so much about you, we've been rather curious. Our little wallflower here doesn't usually make friends so quickly."

"She is a little touchy," Niranjana agreed.

"Hey! I'm right here, you know!"

The two of them gave looked at her simultaneously and just blinked for a moment, then turned back to each other. Allina's mother asked, "Did you come through this all right? I understand you helped rescue Precious."

Niranjana nodded, "I did not do much, but yes, I was there. She was rather difficult."

"I didn't have enough time," Allina grumbled, "the witch wasn't crazy yet, just mad."

"I was talking about the computers."

Her father took her shoulder, and when she looked up, asked, "You risked your escape to play on a computer? I know you love the things, but really, Allina..."

"Pai, it wasn't like that! Noriko and Miss Testarossa were keeping everybody busy, and it would have been dangerous to go outside with all that lightning getting tossed about. Besides," she pulled the PDA out of her pocket and waved it a little, "I got their darknet, everything we'll need to crack them open like an egg. Reminds me, 'Jana, would you go give this to Aria-sensei? I'm going to be a little busy..."

Niranjana just raised that eyebrow again, and answered, "No." The curt interruption made Allina's thoughts stumble for a moment, and her obvious confusion drew a smile and a compromise. "We can go give it to her," Niranjana allowed, "since she is, like most everyone else, in the dining hall. Shall we?" She held out a hand, which Allina took by reflex.

Allina's parents fell in right behind them, but Fate headed in the opposite direction, to begin her pickups of other parents. As they approached the doors, thoughts of where Fate was going made Allina hesitate. She paused, then looked over her shoulder. "Mãe? Can you do me a favor?"

Her mother blinked at her a moment, then replied, "That depends on the favor, Precious."

"You know that joke you keep using, 'bout 'Jana and I? Can you kinda... keep it to yourself? Her parents are going to get here later, and I don't think they'd..."

"My parents would react very poorly to the suggestion," Niranjana finished, then gave an embarrassed little shrug. "Such things are not looked on kindly in my area of India, even if they are merely jokes."

The look on her parents' faces was distinctly uncomfortable for Allina, a mixture of disapproval, sympathy, and amusement. Her father commented, "I'm not sure I'd be comfortable not discussing the matter with them, especially as I've yet to seen any evidence that my wife's joke is anything but that. Allina keeps insisting you're just good friends, nothing more."

Niranjana fielded that. "But if you do discuss it with them, we will never get to find out if she's right or not."

"I'll behave," Allina's mother agreed, laying a hand on her husband's arm, then grinning widely, "on one condition. You've been mucking about in Allina's Beowulf for a couple months now, Niranjana. Any thoughts on how I could break in?"

"MÃE!" Allina could not believe she had actually asked that, it was not even close to fair. "That's not fair! You're not supposed to ask my 'Jana how to hack my Beowulf!" A moment later as her audience gave her a collective speaking look, she felt herself blushing, but tried to stand her ground nonetheless.

"_Your_ 'Jana?" Niranjana gave her another chastising look, then turned back to Allina's mother. "I'm afraid I have not had a chance for a detailed study, but..."

Allina grabbed her arm, and tried to get a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, but found a shield in the way. "'Jana! You can't tell her!"

Niranjana just plowed right on, "... the version of the TCP/IP stack she uses has some minor flaws, as a result of the processor-integration programming layered atop it. They would be very finicky to exploit, but it should be possible to spoof the Beowulf into thinking your computer is just another subordinate processor." She then turned back to Allina, and swatted her once on the nose. "I did not appreciate you disappearing on me _again_. You made me worry. Now come, our teachers are waiting."

------------------------------

The rest of the families arrived soon after, and for a time the entire scene descended into a chaos of high emotion as fears were eased, questions asked, and answers given. Things were uncomfortable, but the parents were surprisingly understanding, in Hayate's opinion. Apparently, the fact that their children were not injured or missing was all most of them needed to give her the benefit of the doubt. The only questionable spots remained Noriko's family, who had yet to arrive, and Laura, who remained off somewhere with her father.

Before things could become too uncomfortable, however, a 'surprise' guest arrived. The families were still gathered in the dining hall, when Hayate saw Fate escorting several men in uniform into the quad. Most of them stopped there, but one continued towards the dining hall. She moved outside to meet him, and he did not even check before altering his course to approach her.

"Yagami-sama," He said with a bow, "I am Colonel Watanabe Jinichiro, Ground Self Defense Forces. My men and I have been ordered to retrieve a number of Chinese paratroopers your staff and students captured. My apologies for interrupting your gathering, Ma'am, but we only just managed to arrange sufficient transport and a holding facility. I was told you would prefer to have them taken off your hands as soon as possible."

Distinctly aware of the number of people now watching through the glass doors, she answered, "That is no problem, Colonel. We've been holding them in the largest of the workrooms, under guard. I'm afraid the Bureau is going to have to hold onto their two commanding officers for a few weeks, they have information regarding high-priority investigations..."

Colonel Watanabe nodded, "Testarossa-san has already informed me of that, and offered to make them available should that be necessary before her people have finished with them. It is acceptable. I believe, the sooner we can get them under way, the better for your students, however."

"I'll show him the way," Fate told her, "you stay with the children."

Hayate nodded, but instead of going back, she only went far enough to stand in the doors and reassure everyone. Then she stood there and watched, as the first prisoners, confined only by their guards, began marching out of her classroom building, forming up into columns. The parents and students behind her watched as well as the men were marched across the quad, onto the path, and off the campus, conversing in a soft rumble of questions and comments. As the tail of the column got under way, Colonel Watanabe once again approached her, this time right up to the doors.

"Colonel," she called out before he could speak, conscious of the unintelligible but somewhat angry comments coming from behind her, "I would ask that you remember, and pass on to your superiors, that those men were simply following orders. They were soldiers, not criminals. Those who are responsible for this attack have already been dealt with."

The Colonel hesitated, blinking, them smiled slightly. "Do not worry, Yagami-sama. They are prisoners, but we have no intention of charging them with anything. At present, their status is in the hands of the diplomats, to determine when and how they will be returned to their homes. I'm afraid their commanding officers will be a different matter, but these troops have nothing to fear from us." He paused a moment, assuming a more serious expression, then bowed deeply, surprising her. When he straightened, he continued, "I have also been ordered to offer the humblest apologies of all the Self Defense Forces, and would also offer my own, for our shameful failure. We will strive to make amends." He bowed again, deeper, and held it.

She had a long list of things she had expected this day, some of which had already come about, but an apology from the JSDF had never even occurred to her, and it took her a few seconds to gather her thoughts enough to reply. "Ah... that is not necessary, Colonel. Defense of the school has always been my responsibility, and there was no way or reason for you or your people to expect such an assault. Please, do not worry about it."

She would have said more, but Allina's voice interrupted, "Laura's coming back! Hayate-sensei!"

She glanced at the young hacker, now holding one of the doors open, then in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, Laura and her father were walking across the quad in the wake of the prisoners. Laura was still moving with that frightening lack of energy she had displayed since China, but she was looking around, finally, instead of off into space. Watching her approach, studying her, Hayate sighed, then turned to Yussef. He was looking at her, waiting, and she nodded once. _We'll give your idea a shot, Yussef,_ she sent telepathically, _just please, be careful._

Yussef did not reply, only nodded, and faded to one side of the press of classmates heading out to meet Laura.

------------------------------

Yussef nodded his reply to Hayate-sensei, then started working his way to the side, his parents trailing him. Everyone... his classmates, at least, was eager to see if Laura's father had managed to break her out of her funk, but afraid of crowding her, resulting in a slow progression into the dormitory's courtyard. Glancing back, he noticed his parents trailing him as well, and pulled them a little further aside once the three of them were up against the wall. "Father, I'm about to do something that could be rather dangerous." Both his parents studied him for a moment, before looking back towards Laura, more obviously curious now. Before they could respond, he continued, "Please, don't interfere. I'm afraid I'm going to have to be rather rude, and things could get violent, but please believe me that it will all be kept in hand, and it's all in a good cause."

His father frowned, asking, "You're going to do something to hurt that girl, aren't you? May I ask why my son is warning me he's about to act the barbarian?"

"That's Laura," Yussef said, and grinned slightly as both his parents did a double-take. He had never kept his opinion of her secret from them, and they were quite familiar with her name and her pranks, all of which had given them a radically different image than the quiet child approaching them now. "She's scared, and needs a shock to get over it. The teachers will keep things from going too far, but I'm the best bet to set her off and get her over this."

His father's frown was quite a bit more pronounced. "Must you do that? I would think that something less traumatic would be in her best interests. I do not approve of my son bullying anyone, especially not those who are obviously in pain."

Yussef just shook his head. "She's not going to respond to talking, not completely. Please, just... don't interfere. She needs this, and I didn't spend all year trying to teach her some self-control just to have her quit now."

He noticed his parents share a look, then smile at him, but his attention was already focused on Laura. Well, his mother smiled, his father's expression was more of a smirk. He let it go, however, and walked out along the dorm wall. He was surprised at how nervous he was feeling, how tense, and had to consciously relax his muscles, especially in his back and right arm. If this went as far as he expected, he could very well find himself in a fight very shortly, and after sparring with Laura, Vita and Signum, he had long since decided he never wanted to seriously fight a Velka mage. He had not been this nervous going into New Delhi, which was odd given how much more backup he had here, but nonetheless he was surprised he was not shaking.

Hayate reached Laura first, as he came in from the side. While he missed the Headmistress' first words, Laura's reply was quite clear. "I just want to go home, sensei."

The comment, especially the almost-whining tone, grated on his temper, and suddenly he was no longer nervous, but rather angry. "Excuse me, what was that? You're leaving, just like that? You're _quitting_?" Even he was surprised at just how angry and snide he sounded, but he worked hard not to show that surprise.

Laura actually flinched, turning away slightly, "Not now, Yussef. Please."

"'Please'? Since when do you say 'please', girl?" He stopped a few meters off, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms. "What, are you begging, now?" Her brick-wall of a father glared and started to step between them, but Hayate intercepted him with a hand on his arm and a shake of her head, while Shamal caught her mother. Laura just started walking away. "Oh, I see," Yussef continued, conscious of the shock flowing through his classmates, but ignoring all of it, "you're not begging, you're running away. You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Not now," Laura repeated, "just shut up, Yussef."

"I don't think so," he snapped back. "What are you thinking? You think walking away's going to fix this? You think quitting's going to make it all better? _Bull shit_." Even his parents reacted to that, but still held back. "You're just afraid. This turned out to be real, not the game you thought it was, and suddenly it's scary, it's real, and you're going running home to hide in mommy's skirts, aren't you? Allah be merciful, you are so pathetic."

"You don't understand," she shot back, and he finally heard something other than whining in her tone.

_That's right, _he thought, _get mad. The sooner the better, I'm not sure how much longer I can insult you before one of our classmates takes over for you._ "You're wrong, I understand perfectly. It makes so much sense, now. I'll be honest, I don't know who I'm more disgusted by," he sneered at her, "_you _for running away like the scared little girl you are, or _me_ for wasting so much time worrying about how dangerous you would be." He barked a derisive laugh before continuing, "I should never have bothered! You're obviously too scared, too weak, to actually be dangerous to anyone."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. So you killed someone, _so what_? He was a bastard and monster, and he had to die to keep the rest of us safe. But you know it's serious now, and you're terrified of that, aren't you? So you're just going to run away and hope mommy makes it all go away. It won't. You're going to put your whole family at risk because you're too scared of the responsibility you took on to protect them!"

"No I'm not!" She was facing him now, though still not looking at him, hands clenched at her sides, and he could see her shaking. "Shut up, Yussef! Just shut up! I can't control it!"

"That's no excuse," he snarled back, "you're just too damn scared of the big bad _world _to try! I thought you had a spine! I thought you had skill, strength! But no, you're just a scared little girl who instead of learning the control she needs would rather run away and hide! Would rather quit! Would rather abandon the device you spent months building! Would rather abandon you friends, your teachers, and the very people you killed to protect!"

"I didn't kill him to protect anyone! He made me mad and wouldn't stop and _I lost it_!"

"Bull shit," Yussef repeated, "you did what you had to, and you're just too scared to admit it! You didn't win that fight, _he _did! He scared you, and he broke you, and instead of doing something about it you're running away to hide! You're nothing but a coward and waste. I thought you were a _warrior_, too bad you're just a _victim_."

Her wordless shriek cut him off, and he had to back-peddle rapidly as she lunged at him. The first two swings were wild punches that he dodged with ease, but as he was coming back from one, he heard her shout, "Paradox!" That was followed by a flicker of light shooting from Hayate's hand to Laura's ear, and Yussef just barely had time to get a shield up as one magic-charged fist slammed into his gut. He rolled away from the blow, coming back to his feet to find her right on his heels.

"Zulfiqar!" Her next punch slammed to halt just short of his sword's blades, against a shimmering field of blue. They lunged apart, then she was charging at him again. He swept Zulfiqar in a long arc, aiming for her middle, and she bounced over it, flipping in the air and trying to kick him in the head with her heel. He rolled forward, turning at the same time in an uncomfortable sprawl, but managed to get his feet under him before Laura could resume the attack.

Signum's voice cut across the quad, "Laura! Your form is atrocious, apprentice! I taught you better than that!" The anger on Laura's face did not fade, but he could see her movements steady down, as Signum continued. "Your emotions should fuel your attacks, not control them! Speed and precision! This wasteful chaos is not what I've taught you! Tighten it up!"

Laura's attacks came faster and harder, pressing Yussef hard as he retreated around the quad, and Signum maintained a running commentary and critique. Instead of counter-attacking, he focused entirely on defense, on keeping his shields up and trying to avoid the worst of her strikes. Even that was proving difficult, as for the first time he experienced just how fast and strong Laura was. She never attacked from the same direction, but she also never stopped attacking, never let up, and the continuous hammering on his defenses was more than a little frightening.

Despite that, he just smirked at her, and egged her on. "Come on, girl, what're you thinking now? You call this an attack? Please, I'm not even breathing hard. What happened to your vaunted combat abilities? What happened to your strength? Where's this 'Quantum Knight' I keep hearing about, huh?"

She just snarled back, not saying a word, and he piled on more insults. He was pushing her temper as far and as hard as possible, trying to recreate her fight against Jin as well as he could. But she refused to break any further. He could tell she was utterly enraged, but there was no sign of the berserker rage she had claimed.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably closer to a couple minutes, Signum intervened directly. She stepped into the midst of the fight without apparent concern, snaking an arm around Laura's waist and throwing her a few meters away from Yussef. Laura again made no sound, stayed entirely focused on Yussef, until the red rings of Vita's binding spells flashed into being about her wrists and ankles. Then she did explode, shrieking like a banshee, before demanding at the top of her lungs, "Lemme go! Lemme go, God _dammit_! I'm not gonna hurt him! I'm just gonna _skin him_! _Lemme go!_"

Once he saw the bindings, Yussef finally relaxed, allowing his shields to fade, slumping a little to rest on Zulfiqar as he got his breath back. Keeping up with Laura's assault had been incredibly difficult, and he found that even now, he could not imagine having tried to counter-attack. A few moments later, as their audience came tentatively closer, Yussef hefted Zulfiqar to his shoulder, and walked over to a still-bound, still-struggling, and patently still-fuming Laura. He caught her eyes for a few moments, then told her, "you didn't kill him because you lost control, Laura, or I'd be just as dead as he is. You killed him because it was the only way to _stop_ him. You aren't dangerous, just inexperienced, just like the rest of us. But if you quit now, if you leave now, you will be just as dangerous and vile as you're afraid of being. I swear before Allah and my father, if you do leave, I will track you down, beat some sense into your air-filled skull, and drag you back. Understood?"

"You're not the boss of me," she snarled back.

Yussef just grinned, "See, that's the first you've sounded like you in days. Welcome back, ditz."

He turned and walked away without waiting for her reply, carefully ducking her parents by putting Signum between him and them. He was halfway to his own parents when he felt a tingle of magic and slammed his defense back up, spinning to face Laura. Vita had released the bindings holding her, but instead of attacking, Laura was just smirking viciously. "Always thought you'd be pretty in pink, Yu-chan," she called, then spun and barreled into her father, dragging him and her mother away.

He blinked for a second, confused, then noticed that most of his classmates and their parents, were suddenly trying hard not to laugh. Still, it took a gesture from Noriko, holding out her own hair, before he realized what Laura had done. "Typical," he muttered.

"Just desserts," his mother commented coldly. He flinched from that, but turned to face the music anyhow, and found both his parents frowning at him rather fiercely. "Were it not for the visible change in her personality," his mother continued, "I would be sending for a cane right now, Yussef. I'm thinking I may anyhow! I know you had good intentions, but my sons do_ not _treat women in such a manner! Especially not someone who was obviously in pain! I will not stand for you becoming a bully, a common thug!"

"I'm not too pleased myself," his father agreed. "She may have been whining, but you're no paragon of virtue, son. Those were deliberate insults, deadly insults. If you'd said any of them to your brothers, they would have tried to kill you, and I'd probably have let them."

"I'm sorry, Father, Mother," Yussef replied, a little angry that they were not giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Yussef, are you all right?" Hayate appeared at his side, looking him over critically. "I did not think she got through your shields at all, but..."

"I'm fine, sensei," he told her, "how's Laura?"

She smiled slightly, "better. Not a hundred percent back to normal, but better. She'll have trouble for a while yet, but your demonstration today should ease things considerably. Thank you. I was uncomfortable asking you to do that, but of all of us here, you had the best chance to set off her temper."

"Excuse me?" His mother interrupted, sounding shocked more than curious, "you asked him to do this?"

"It was sort of my idea," Yussef explained, "I thought she needed an object lesson in just how bad her temper isn't."

"But it was Signum and I who refined it to today's events," Hayate continued. "He was not being cruel, Sheika, not truly. Laura feared that her temper caused her to kill the man responsible for this travesty, and was thus afraid of her temper and afraid of her magic. Yussef's goading her will go farther towards convincing her that she did not loose control than any words will, and unfortunately, I'm afraid it had to be him, given their mutual history this year."

His parents took a second to think that over, so Yussef used the pause to ask, "Is she still leaving?"

"Yes," Hayate held up a hand to forestall his reaction, "but only for a few days, a week maybe. A change of scenery will do her good, and she should be safe for that long, given the shock we've given the Circles these last few days. She'll be back. It looks like everyone will be back, actually, though no one has yet informed me of any solid decisions."

"Hayate," Zafira interrupted, "my apologies for interrupting, but Noriko's father has arrived. Apparently his security was waiting for the prisoners to be removed before allowing him to enter the campus."

------------------------------

The room was lusciously appointed – dark wood paneling covering the walls, thick soft carpet, comfortably upholstered chairs arranged around a large beautifully carved table, a single heavy chandelier suspended from the ceiling. The massive bay windows lining one long wall looked out over a placid lake just beneath the wall, a picturesque city spreading out to surround the lake, all framed by mountains green even in this late winter.

The twelve men and women moving to sit around the table at first glance matched the setting, in their business suits and formal demeanor. But there was a hesitation, stiffness to their motions and worry in their gazes that belied that sense of power and wealth. They studied one another as if expecting attack, or at the least accusation and discord.

"My fellow Lords," one old man intoned, "please, relax. We are not here for recriminations, but to examine our options. We face a crisis of world-shaking proportions, and must deal with it decisively. Fear and distrust cannot be allowed to rule our thoughts, we must be of one mind." He turned his attention to the youngest person present, a man who could not have been much over fifty. "Master Adept Huan, I realize you are only acting in Lord Asia's stead while we attempt to determine his fate, but in the interests of answering this crisis, I must ask that you act in all respects as Lord Asia. None here will hold such assumption against you given the exceptional circumstances."

"Thank you, Lord Europe," the young man replied.

"Now, I believe you have the latest reports from the attack sites?"

Huan nodded, opening the leather folder in front of him carefully. "I've distributed the initial reports, of course, but a summary should suffice here. The attack on New Delhi was the least damaging, in terms of personnel and materiel. Admittedly, the India headquarters was rendered unusable for the foreseeable future, and some fifteen Adepts were injured supporting the wolf-packs, but they will all recover, and all personnel have been accounted for. Politically, our connections with the city and national governments remain strong, and we have successfully contained the event, excusing it as a gas-main explosion triggered by extremist sabotage.

"The attack in Ukraine was more serious. Structurally and politically, the attack was a non-event. The physical damage is already being repaired and should be made good by the end of the week. The only people who noticed the attack were our own people living in the village below the castle, so there is no need for any intervention there. In terms of personnel, we have another twenty-eight Masters and Adepts seriously injured by a combination of explosion and magical strain, including four outright burn-outs. Even worse, three of those leading the wolf-packs, including a Master Adept, are missing, and were apparently captured. There is also some evidence that the facility's computer systems may have been compromised, though only evidence, no confirmation as of yet. Precautions are being undertaken to minimize damage from either the missing mages or the possibly compromised computers, but both are being handled locally, by your people, Lord Europe.

"By far, the worst attack was in China. We have very little information about what happened, simply because those who witnessed it are all missing. The mages at Headquarters Asia, the Chinese soldiers at the military base, all of them are simply missing. The few civilians in the region insist that they neither heard nor saw anything. All that is left of the military base and headquarters is a massive hole in the ground, down to bedrock. It's not a random hole, either – it is a massive ellipse encompassing the entire area of the subterranean facilities, approximately where the wards terminated, with perfectly vertical cliffs. They even fused the walls and floor of the crater. We still have no idea how they managed that, or what the status of all those people is. We are setting up traces, but... there are so many, especially on top of those lost in Operation Nimrod that it is going to take some time just to make proper arrangements and find trace-keys for any of the missing. I fear we will never be able to confirm the status of most of the missing, especially those poor soldiers."

Lord America leaned forward slightly, resting one elbow on the table as she faced him, "Why do you think they are not dead?"

He shook his head slowly, "there is no trace in the region of death on such massive scale, despite the powers unleashed. There is some, but given the intensity of combat that must have occurred, it is inevitable that someone died. Some of my people suspect that is what caused the crater, that one of the heretics died and then their corrupt device overloaded, which somehow excised the area from reality in an odd sort of dimensional swap."

"What do you suspect, Master Adept?"

He started to answer, then hesitated. Finally, he just shook his head, "I think they are prisoners, Lord America. Someone intervened at the school, someone just as fallen as the Yagami woman, but using normal magic, with quite a lot of support. I think it might be this 'Bureau' that Master Adepts Li and Al Huri were in contact with, and that they assisted in the rescues. The Ukraine site, in particular, included at least two, possibly three, mages we had no prior record of, and given their strength and flamboyance, we would have noticed them if they had been at the school prior to Operation Nimrod. The number of mages available to the Yagami woman and the sheer power of their fallen enhancements, combined with the light casualties from the New Delhi and Ukraine sites, tell me that they have the capability and desire to acquire prisoners, and are hesitant to kill. I think our missing are currently being interrogated. I can't say how we might get them back at this point."

"You will not."

The icy cold voice rolled over the room. The sunlight streaming in the windows seemed to darken as a presence formed under the windows. It resolved itself into the figure of a man, just above average height, in an odd almost-uniform of darkest black. Even the hulking black sword with the grip wrapped in blood red, slung over his shoulder, was not so out of place for the assembled Lords of the Circles. But something about his presence, the look in his eyes, and the utter stillness with which he observed them made them shrink away from him. The almost identical man in white that appeared just behind him was a non-entity next to his frigidly hostile presence.

"You will never find those Admiral Testarossa has arrested," he continued in the same condemning tone. "You will instead pay the price for your crimes."

Lord America managed to find her voice, hissing, "What are you thinking?! We had a deal, Akira!"

As the other Lords spun about to stare at her in shock, the man in white chuckled. "You are quite correct." His voice was radically different, actually holding an emotion, even if it was condescending amusement. "We did have a deal. However, that deal is no longer convenient for me, and whatever deal you made with _me_, you made none with my _master_. Ladies and Gentlemen," He gestured in a half-bow towards the man in black in front of him, "I give you Shimazu Takashi, former Bureau Enforcer, known in his own time as the Black Hand, and today as Kokuryu, the Black Dragon. I'd suggest fleeing in abject terror, save that I have already sealed this chamber at his orders."

"What gives you the right..."

Lord Europe was cut off by Takashi, "Power gives me the right, animal. Power, and the fact that you took it upon yourselves, in your petty hatred and xenophobic jealousy, to attack my _daughter _through her _children_. You have pitted yourselves in open war against those I chose as my family, and thus against me. That gives me the right. I have thought about this long and hard. I had planned to torture all of you until you begged me to cast you into Hell. I considered being merciful and handing you over to the Bureau. But in the end, I think Akira's method is best. Only the horror necessary, no more, no less."

He held up his left hand, a swirling blackness forming in his cupped hand. Even as the Lords gathered their energies to defend themselves, he released it, intoning, "Soul's Disjunction."

The Circle response team broke through Akira's shield two minutes later, to find the men and women they had relied upon for leadership and guidance lying lifeless in their chairs. Burned into the surface of the table between them was a serpentine head and neck curled within a circle, and a warning.

"The Black Dragon Watches Over His Own."

------------------------------

Spells:

Yussef & Laura: Laura was not using any formal spells while attacking Yussef, merely using the magical energies at her disposal to enhance her physical attacks. Given her strength and anger at the time, she probably could have put such an enhanced fist through any mundane Terran armor. Yussef was using basic shields, but such were little more than his Shield of Faith auto-defense under conscious direction.

Soul's Disjunction: the first true Deva spell Takashi has displayed, and one of his most fatal. It tears apart the target's (or targets') mind(s) in under a second by bombarding them with massively chaotic telepathic, visual and sonic stimuli. The resultant trauma, similarly to Akira's less efficient Soul Breaker, results in the target's death. Especially strong-willed and well-defended targets could survive this spell. Artificial beings such as familiars, sentient programs & devices, etc, appear to be immune, or at least highly resistant, to the spell for some unknown reason, suffering nothing more than severe disorientation. Whether or not it truly destroys the target's soul is a debatable point, but the name was chosen for intimidation more than accuracy.

------------------------------

Author's Note: I have posted in my profile a current time-line (through Chapter 28), and a list of all the character/song matches I have at present. I'll try to remember to update the time-line as I post chapters, but no promises – it'll probably happen in 'group updates' every couple of chapters. Also, before anyone complains, I already know I'm going to have to edit it to get the specific dates to match up to the real-world calendar, so please consider specific days to be rough estimates until further notice. It does give a good estimate of when certain key events happen. Let me know if it's too much of a 'spoiler', though there's a warning in there.

------------------------------

Ray Venn Hakubi: Laura's definitely shell-shocked, mostly for the reasons Yussef so rudely pointed out above. She's still not over it all, and won't be for a while. I'm afraid you'll have to read on to find out how well she recovers, though I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do for her brother's reaction. I could go on for a couple years about the good and bad of the various American death-sentence laws, but I will say however you feel about those, there's a world of difference between an executioner fulfilling his duties, and a girl's first death in combat. Both are stressful and problematic, but for different reasons, and no sane human being is ever 'comfortable' with causing another's death. As much personality as the trio's devices have, I'm afraid they're no where near as self-aware as the teacher's devices, certainly not as much as Reinforce, the Sword of Light, and the Hellblade, so they can't really form opinions yet.

CrimsonDX: Breathe, please... I don't like loosing reviewers to asphyxiation:). Glad I surprised you last time, but I'm afraid it's back to my usual snail's pace, since I haven't been imagining these next few chapters in nearly as much detail as I did the last few. Not as much action and melodrama, I'm afraid, which doesn't mean 'none', just that the last couple were a little overloaded.

AWPrime: Here's your view of the Circles... now you'll have to wonder about their successors! Though Hughes' scene should give you a few clues. For Laura, it'll take more than one talk, and more than Yussef's intervention above, but you're right, her brother and father are the best sources of advice. I'm afraid I've very few plans for the good Doctor at the moment, mostly because he's done his part, and I'm still debating the Bureau's official response. He might show up again, but I may decide to just have his fate referenced by other characters.

TheWhiteMonk: Conclusion coming soon, I promise. I hate leaving things unfinished, despite the slew of unfinished stories sitting on my hard-drives.

Natimus Prime: Here's your first view of the Circles' education beginning, as well as a fairly accurate damage report. I'd argue that Hayate has already acquired Bureau support, but you're right, more could be dispatched should the situation become critical again. But remember, this is a non-signatory world that is technically outside Bureau jurisdiction – they'll step in if it's a crisis, but if things are 'under control' it's a lot harder to justify their involvement. Fate's arrival with the _Asura_ is the official response to the Circle's trap, she just chose to interpret her authority very broadly in defending the school first and working on clean-up as a secondary priority. I can see what you're saying about Laura's rapid descent, but remember, this is the first time she killed someone probably the first time she killed anything more complex than a mosquito, and Jin died rather messily right in front of her. 'Shock' barely begins to describe it. Also, the fight was over at that point, possibly even before, as her last Bolt From the Blue took out a substantial area. But yeah, Yussef and her family have their roles to play in helping her get over it.

seaotter: Laura manages sympathetic fairly well, at least when she's not acting like herself. Yussef would argue that he's always demonstrated a caring and protective nature – though definitely of the 'for your own good' style. Rafiq's communication is entirely telepathic (mind-to-mind).

Kell Shock: Yup, Li was reduced to a significantly smaller volume than normal. By the time Laura hit him with Jupiter's Fist, however, he had been severed from the wolf-pack. Frankly, even the major device users would have had trouble staying functional after standing at ground-zero for Laura's last Bolt From the Blue – a quarter of the energy from thirty-some-odd cartridges? I admit, loosing to Laura with all his experience is a little embarrassing, but frankly, he deserved it. You're right about part of why Li's death is affecting her so badly. Way I see it, it's a combination of five things: the fact of killing, her temper getting so far out of control, the verbal abuse Li heaped on her before hand, her own nature (as you mentioned) as a practical joker more than an aggressor, and the realization that someone could hate her so much they would force her to kill them rather than surrender. Japan will not so much be re-emerging as an imperial power as securing its regional influence and position in the new political paradigm these events are going to create, which will be further developed in the next few chapters. Thanks for the spelling correction, but 'begerk' was semi-intentional – it's a deliberate mangling of 'berserk' my friends and I use for situations where the 'berserk' status was induced from outside. Sorry about the confusion, we've been using it for years now, and it's kinda become part of my personal lexicon. I'll think about correcting it back to the usual word when I post the edited chapters.

SpaceBrotha: You were plenty coherent, especially compared to some of the forums I've seen. For time-line questions, please see my profile. I finally broke down, put one together, and posted it there, though I'll have to go back through once I get my hands on some calendar printouts through 2015 to tighten up the dates. I believe StrikerS is set six years after Nanoha A's, which is actually when I set Path of Vengeance. I'll watch StrikerS eventually, and I may incorporate those events if I continue this (still not answering _that_ question:).

Sheo Darren: Welcome back, I always get worried when regulars disappear for a while, but no complaints. Hidan was a response to a fit of personal realism – I just couldn't see Noriko's father letting her go haring off into combat without a 'minder' of some sort. He also provides a route of report to keep the prince updated, and some other potentials to be discussed later. Senbonzakura's damage is similar to that suffered by Bardiche and Raging Heart, though not as extensive as they suffered when first facing the Wolkenritter. Noriko's damage is not a result of a 'new bond', but the deeper bond her construction methods created. Nanoha and Fate would not have suffered any damage from Gaia's Judgment damaging their devices, for instance. I was actually shocked when I heard Arf's role had been reduced/eliminated, I liked her a lot and she's one of many inspirations for Laura. I'm also surprised you're the only person so far to comment on Cidela's reference to Shamal – I expected everyone to be all over that, for some reason. It'll become important a little later. As for the ideas and metaphors, all I can say is read everything you can get your hands on. All my spell ideas for Laura are built on knowledge from pop-sci magazines and Wikipedia, and I've picked up all those 'turns of phrase' from book after book after book. I've got three floor-to-ceiling bookshelves full of paperbacks, another full of hard-backs, and I've read almost all of them. Last chapter's title was actually for Li and Laura's innocence. Personally, in her shoes, I'd've been an utterly useless wreck after Kyoto, and you'd never've gotten me near China... or course, that means I wouldn't have been at the school in the first place, so oh well. Thank you for the praise, I'm starting to think some f you might be serious:)!

Vessel of the Devil: Thank you for the compliment, and your time. I'm wondering about any further involvement from Jing myself, since that's part of the Bureau's response that I'm still formulating... which I probably shouldn't be, this late in the story. It is a loose end, though, and I'll do my best to wrap it up with all the others.


	29. 29 Full Circle

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 29 – Full Circle -

Noriko very much wanted to go after Laura, to check on her friend and make sure she really was getting better. But Zafira found her before he found Hayate, and so she found herself sitting in the quad as the families began filtering back into the dining hall, waiting with false patience. Shamal and Cidela appeared at her side, and Hayate joined her a moment later, with Yussef and his family in tow, which gave her yet another dilemma.

Despite his blank face, she could tell that Yussef was angry about something, and from the distance between him and them, that 'something' was his parents. While she had not been told before hand, it had been obvious to Noriko from the start what Yussef was doing in provoking Laura – she thought it would be obvious to anyone who knew both of them. So she felt more than a little sympathetic, and an obligation as a friend to both of them to make sure Yussef's parents understood. But again, she did not have time to do more than whisper, "Are you all right?"

He looked down at her, gave her a slightly confused look, then shrugged. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you just got yelled at for doing the right thing," Noriko replied.

He gave her that confused look again, "you certain I did?"

She returned his look with a small smile, "I know my friends well enough, Yussef. I could tell that helped her, however much it hurt. I also know that you've never been that mean to her, even when she pranked you. The worst you ever did was call her ditz and give her orders, you never insulted her that badly, and you never would without good reason. Your parents will figure that out."

He chuckled a little, "I think you need to worry about your own parents, Noriko. I've got two older brothers, this isn't the first time I've gotten in trouble for something I didn't do, or for doing the right thing. Probably won't be the last, either."

She studied him a moment longer, then shook her head. "You are entirely too self-possessed for your own good."

"Like someone else I could name," he replied with a slight smirk.

She answered his smirk with one of her own, "why yes, you are just like Laura."

He glared at her, but motion on the path drew her attention. Prowling out from the trees in a plain business suit, Hidan looked quite the normal businessman, save for his continuous scan of the surroundings, and the silver-chased tanto shoved through his belt. Behind him came both her parents, and Noriko could see her mother's eyes widening even this far away.

She set the chair rolling forward, and whispered to Hayate, "Give me a minute? Please?"

"As many as you need, Noriko," Hayate allowed.

Predictably, it was her mother who reacted first and worst. Her mother had always been more emotional than her father, and quicker to display it, whether crying or screaming. While she could not compare to Laura's tales of her own mother, Noriko was quite familiar with her mother's mannerisms. So she wasn't surprised when her mother accelerated right past Hidan's watchful guard and very nearly ran over to her.

Before she could speak, however, Noriko held up her good hand, "I'm all right, Mother, nothing permanent, and it was my own fault for not paying enough attention. Please don't worry."

"Don't worry?! My daughter is in a wheelchair and you want me to _'not worry_'?"

_Oh, joy,_ Noriko thought, _the 'I'm angry because I care' mode. This is going to take a while._ "Mother," she decided to try to be reasonable, "this is passing, a matter of therapy, not injury..."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place! What were you thinking, attacking someone like that? You should have staid here!"

"That would not have been practical, Mother. We had to rescue all three of my classmates in one go, or they would have been moved and lost to us. To do that, we needed all the mages we could get, especially device mages, to balance the Circles' numbers. I am one of the strongest mages in the class, Mother, and the best of the three device wielders in the class. How could I not help them? It would have been shameful not to, dishonorable for our entire family."

"Our family was not attacked!"

"Our subjects were," Akishino commented, finally joining them and resting a restraining hand on his wife's shoulder, "and our country was invaded. It was entirely appropriate that a member of the Imperial Family assist in the rescues. Though, to be honest," he frowned at Noriko, "_that_ was what I sent Hidan along to do."

"Hidan is not a mage, Father," Noriko countered, "let alone a device wielder."

The frown deepened slightly, "No, he is not a mage, but raw power does not a warrior make. Hidan knows how to handle himself quite well in any and all combat situations. You do not."

The rebuke was sharper than she usually received from her father, it was her mother who was the family's true disciplinarian, which made it all the more discomfiting. "I'm sorry, father." Explaining just how difficult it was for a non-mage to face even un-enhanced Circle mages would have been a waste, even if she was certain the argument applied. Hidan had managed to get through the castle's wards, after all.

"A lesson to be remembered," He told her, then looked to Hayate, "but I am curious, Yagami-san, how harsh the lesson was?"

Hayate moved closer, but indicated Shamal with one hand, "Shamal can better answer that question, Your Highness."

"Her injury is rather unique," Shamal explained, moving forward to rest a hand on Noriko's right shoulder. "Because of how it was inflicted, reflection from damage to Senbonzakura, the injury does not fit usual profiles."

Shamal continued to explain, but Noriko tuned her out. She had heard the descriptions before, and while she understood that she was going to get better, the frank discussion of her own body was, on one hand, embarrassing, and on the other, incredibly gross. Shamal had taken her along on one scan of her leg, and shown her the damaged nerves that had not been completely destroyed, and it had almost been enough to make Noriko throw up, especially when she remembered what she was seeing was inside her own leg. She had never wanted to know what a 'brachial plexus' was, let alone what it looked like, and she had no need to hear it all again.

Oddly, as Shamal continued to speak, she felt another probe touch on her and begin inspecting her injury. Frowning slightly, she tapped Shamal's hand, "Ano, Shamal-sensei? I thought you were done with scans? It's a little uncomfortable." True enough, though it was not painful. Just a sense of 'something else' in her arm and intruding on her magic, almost tickling.

"I'm not..." Shamal frowned down at her for a second, then turned a little further, "Cid-chan, please don't do that without permission."

Cidela, standing behind the two of them twitched a little, jerking her focus from Noriko's arm, then blushed a little and dropped her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry, ok... Shamal-sensei. I was just looking, I didn't realize I did that."

Noriko caught the almost-slip, and smiled at it, though Shamal gave no sign of noticing. Instead the teacher just said, "Remember to keep control, Cid-chan, you haven't acclimated the new training device yet, you still don't have the energy to spare."

"Don't worry about it, Cid-chan," Noriko added softly, "I'm not mad, just a little tired of it. I felt like a lab rat for a while there."

Predictably, her whispered reassurance was overheard by her mother, "What was that?"

"Noriko's injury is rather uncommon, Hime-sama," Hayate explained, "uncommon enough that the Asura's doctor and Shamal both wish to have as complete a record of it as possible, and to move as carefully as possible. Normally, such extensive nerve damage is accompanied by more mundane damage, and both heal at the same time. There have been very few incidents like this, with such extensive but focused damage. So they proceed cautiously, with as much monitoring as is practical."

Shamal picked up the thread again, explaining the details of the proposed therapy plan, which was rather daunting. More annoyingly, Noriko knew it would severely cut into her free time, eliminating any chance of doing more than repair Senbonzakura before the school year ended. Her father absorbed the report stoically enough, but her mother looked ready to burst into tears as Shamal wound down. So Noriko rolled a little closer and took her mother's hand in her own left hand, "I'll be fine, Mother, and sooner than you think. I made a mistake, one I learned from as Father said, but it isn't permanent."

Her mother pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry, musume, it's just... you're a little girl, you shouldn't have to deal with this so soon."

"I'm a princess first, Mother," Noriko reminded her, "and I chose to be involved, remember? I knew what could happen, it's just going to be a little uncomfortable for a while."

Despite repeated reassurances, her mother did not let her out of arms reach for the rest of the day, holding her hand and frequently touching Noriko's injured arm as if reassuring herself it was at least still there. The physical contact seemed to reassure her, so Noriko did not protest, but her mother's hovering prevented her from pulling Cidela off to one side, which was quite vexing.

When they entered the dining hall, she saw something else that distracted her. "Father," she said, pulling to a halt just inside the door as Laura stepped away from her parents and began making her way across the room. He stopped and turned back to give her a questioning look. "Father, Laura has something to tell you, but... please, be as gentle as you can. She has had a far worse time than I, and is very fragile right now. It is not my place to tell you what happened, but... she was fulfilling your request."

He gave her a slight smile. "I believe I am already aware of what you mean, but do not worry. I have no intention of harming a child."

------------------------------

Laura steeled herself as she saw Noriko's father enter the dining hall, taking a moment to work through a mental focusing exercise. She could feel the left-over adrenalin still shivering through her, and knew that her emotional stability was far from good, but she also knew this had to be done now, or she would never have the courage to do it herself. "Dad, Mom, I've gotta go talk to Noriko's father for a minute."

Her father gave the other man a studying look, "Is that why we've been waiting in here?"

"Yeah, I owe him an explanation. I lost something he loaned me."

"It can wait," her father offered, "a few days at least."

Laura grinned a little and shook her head, "You're too American, Dad. If I don't tell him now, I won't be able to show my face in Japan ever again."

She threaded her way through her classmates, accepting the tentative overtures from her classmates with guilty surprise. She had not realized how worried they were about her, and it was reassuring in ways Yussef's verbal assault had not been, though she doubted she would have noticed without that shock coming first. But she was focused on her objective, and kept moving. She paused a moment when she got through the crowd to find Noriko's father and those who had entered with him still standing by the doors, and heard the conversations fading away behind her.

She swallowed once, straightened her shoulders, stiffened her back, and marched to her fate. "Your Highness," she said, bowing and for once following the protocols Noriko had told her. When she straightened, she reached into a pocket and held out the last remnants of Hicho, a little over three centimeters of scorched wood. "Your Highness, I must apologize, and beg your forgiveness. You placed into my keeping a naginata of your family's collection. In my eagerness to use it, to my shame, I allowed an enemy close enough in a moment of distraction, and he destroyed it." She bowed again, extending the piece of ruined wood in her cupped hands, "I am sorry, Your Highness, but this is all that remains of the weapon you entrusted to my keeping."

She staid there, waiting for his answer, and he kept her waiting for a few seconds. When he did speak, it was not the condemnation she expected, "Stand up, young one, and tell me how this happened."

She straightened, looking at him a moment, and finding only blank patience. So she sighed, nodded, and told him, as simply and clearly as she could, of her battle over China. It hurt, rehashing it yet again, with such a large and uncertain audience, but she felt she owed it to him, and regarded it as a form of penance for her own actions. She finished explaining Hicho's loss, "In short, Jin thought the naginata was my Paradox, and attacked it directly with a spell meant to destroy magical artifacts."

"And where is this 'Jin' now?"

She had to swallow around a lump in her throat, then told him, "I killed him, later in the battle."

His only change of expression was to quirk both eyebrows up, then back down. He reached out, and gently closed her hands around Hicho's remains. "Then the dishonor is cleansed, and there is no shame. To loose a weapon in combat is a sad thing, but to do so in victory is an excusable error. As for it being an Imperial blade, tell me, are you familiar with how we view our blades?"

"Every blade has a soul," she replied.

"True, a warrior's soul. Some are hateful, some thoughtful, some even peaceful, but all are warrior's souls. The naginata I placed in your keeping was over three hundred years old. It was used by foot soldiers, by samurai, and at least one daimyo before passing into Imperial hands. One prince used it for ceremonial purposes for decades, his daughter used it to defend her own life. Yet for almost a century now, it has sat upon a shelf, and for less than a decade been displayed in a quiet museum, slowly fading. You gave an old warrior's soul a warrior's demise. There is nothing to apologize for, Sims-san, and everything to praise. You made mistakes, but did so in defense of your classmates, your ideals, and my nation. For that, you have my thanks. All of you, teachers and students alike, have my thanks, and those of my father." To Laura's surprise, he actually bowed to her. Not deeply, not too far, he was still the Prince, but with evident respect. A moment later, he turned and repeated the gesture, to Hayate-sensei, who had to visibly get over her own shock before replying.

In the back of Laura's mind, however, a little voice could not help complaining. She had, in an odd sort of way, been looking forward to arguing with a bona fide _prince_, since arguing with Yussef obviously did not count.

------------------------------

The whipsawing emotions, and the continued nervousness of the parents, eventually proved too much for Hayate's nerves. As lunch was brought out and everyone settled into small family groups, she excused herself and slipped out through the Girls' Wing, into the woods. She sought a few moments of peace to let her own emotions calm, to let go of the morning's stress. Walking through the carefully preserved forest, beautiful even in February, gave her that peace.

Despite her worries, things were actually looking good. The influence of Noriko's father, first in the initial notices to the families, and again today, had done a great deal to calm everyone's fears, as had the blatant display of the prisoner's removal. She had no doubts, after his speech to Laura, that His Highness had planned that extraction to the second, even to the point of extending the JSDF's apologies so very publicly. But she could not object to his manipulations, when they were patently helping her. The only parents she had been truly worried would remove their children, Laura's and Allina's, had all indicated that, while they were concerned, their children would remain. Her dream, for all the damage it had suffered, had not been slain this week.

The walk in the woods did not bring her all the peace she was looking for, however. She felt his arrival at the edge of the wards, felt him walking down the valley, and moved to meet him. Watching his dark shape approach through the woods, she could tell immediately that something was wrong. He was... cautious, a term she had never thought to apply to Takashi.

"Takashi," she greeted him, once he was close enough.

"Hayate," he returned.

She twitched in surprise when he used her name, and felt all her worries come back. Dreading the answer, she asked softly, "What have you done?"

He gave her a sour look for a moment, "You are far too good at that, Hayate. No one is supposed to be able to read me."

"You use my name, and I am not supposed to realize something is wrong? Do not dodge my question, Takashi. What have you done?"

He looked at her a moment longer, then turned to gaze towards the school. "The ones who ordered and allowed this travesty will not do so again."

She frowned, recognizing his partial answer for another attempted dodge. "Which means?"

His mouth twisted a little as she pushed. "Which means that, as I told you when you started this endeavor, I took steps…"

"Do not play games with me, Takashi," she demanded. "I am too tired, too worried, and have too much to do to waste time on such childishness. I already know you have done something I will not approve of, now tell me, _what have you done_?"

"The Lords of the Circle died by my hands not ten minutes ago," he told her flatly, still staring at the school, rather than her. "I left a warning, they will not trouble you again, for fear of me."

She had expected it, at some level, but it was still shocking, horrifying. Any death was horrible, and she had been proud, of her Knights and her students, that they caused, this entire travesty, only one death, discounting those who voluntarily burned themselves out. But this, to have Takashi, whom she trusted despite the warnings of others, confess to killing... "How many?"

"The Circles are divided into twelve regions – Africa, America, Arabia, Asia, Atlantis, Australia, Britain, Europe, Inca, India, Pacific, Russia. Those regions are now leaderless. Akira will make their successors available to you whenever you wish."

"I needed the Lords! They were human beings, Takashi, whatever their crimes!"

He finally looked at her again, head snapping around as he snarled, "They attacked my family! They attacked you, and very nearly killed you! I cannot, _will _not, allow that to stand! You are all that is left to me in this world, and I will not stand by when some half-trained barbarians try to take that from me!"

"This is my world, Takashi! Not yours! They are my problem, they attacked my students! You should have left them for me to deal with."

He actually snarled at her a moment, then one hand disappeared into his black robes, and reappeared a moment later with a thin sheaf of papers. He shoved it at her, growling, "the schedule for the meeting they were holding when I dealt with them. Specifically, look over the second section on options for dealing with you and your students. Don't lecture me, girl. Twelve deaths are nothing compared to what they thought to unleash, to what they already have."

The papers were computer printed, but the margins were also filled with hand-written notes – questions and arguments on the listed points. The section he mentioned was at the bottom of the first page, and the options the Circles had been considering were horrifying. A repeat of Operation Nimrod, a direct mass-assault, a series of assassinations of her and her Knights, an engineered war between Japan and China, all painfully overblown and far more difficult for her to stop than Operation Nimrod had been. But the worst option was the first. Whoever had scribbled the notes had circled that option and labeled it 'best of bad options'. A stolen American nuclear warhead detonated in the air above her school.

"Kami-sama," she breathed, the shock of it making her shake, almost dropping the papers her fingers were so limp, "They... they would have..."

"They were monsters, musume," Takashi said softly, "the worst sort, thinking their ends justified any means. Not all of them supported that option. I have reason to believe one would have argued for leaving you be for a time. But they all planned to eliminate you at the first opportunity. I will not permit such threats to stand against my family."

"My apologies, Takashi," Hayate muttered, starting to get over her shock. She shuffled through the remained of the notes, but they contained nothing so shocking as the Circles' plans for her. "We will have to take steps to ensure the Lords' successors do not attempt to follow through. They have already demonstrated a level of pervasive access that makes it all too probable they could manage any of these."

"The Lords successors will not dare," Takashi told her, "I left them a rather blatant warning. Also, I believe your pet, Colonel Hughes, will be giving them more immediate concerns. Mutiny is a rather attention-getting crime, after all."

"My Pet?" She blinked at that, then asked, "What mutiny?"

"He has contacted Akira, requesting a private meeting with you, to discuss what he calls 'an armistice'. It appears that your friend's warning in China was clearly understood."

Hayate frowned at that, "What warning? Fate and Nanoha said nothing about any warnings."

His frown finally vanished, replaced with a somewhat sadistic smirk. "She rotated a rather large area into a pocket dimension generated by her ship, then scorched the resultant crater. Those within the transferred area are being processed by the Bureau, divided between the guilty, willing followers, and innocent dupes. The Circles believe them to be dead."

"Kami-sama," Hayate mostly ignored his explanation, as the thought of Hughes' approach took over. Anything was better than dwelling on the papers still in her hand. Mostly, she was surprised he was a Circle mage, and a little ashamed she had not noticed. Admittedly, her entire time in his presence had been dominated by the dislocation Shamal and Reinforce had repaired, and he had never used even the slightest bit of magic, but she still should have noticed something. Mostly, though, there were the possibilities. Putting together what she already knew of the Circles, with the knowledge that one of their members wanted to talk to her and at least entertain a truce... "What is his rank?"

"Master Adept. If he got over his childish fears and utilized a device, he would be a challenge for your Knights."

_The rank gives him authority,_ she decided, _enough to be a serious negotiator. If he can convince a significant number of his fellows to join him, if he can offer me any sort of reasonable deal, we can end this without more bloodshed. But he is one mage, in one area, not a Lord. Will all the Circles listen to him?_ "There will be a civil war," she said aloud.

"Most likely," Takashi agreed easily, almost happily. "The Circles have been too static for too long. Their response to you was too extreme, and your counter too swift and skillful. They have suffered greatly, paid a terrible price, for effectively no gain. Some will feel as Hughes does, that a negotiated peace leaving both sides free to act is best. Others will insist on victory at any cost. You are still in danger, but the Circles will be too busy fighting one another to threaten you."

"No they won't," she shook her head, thinking on the Circles' structure. "Remember what you told me after Kyoto? They are a cellular organization. All it would take is one group of them convinced of victory above all, and a nuclear warhead can be on its way here. They need not even be American."

"So we shield this place. I doubt they truly understand what the resources at your disposal can defend against."

"I will not allow my homeland to be the victim of another nuclear warhead," Hayate stated flatly. "The Americans did it twice, I will not be the cause of a third."

"How will you fight them, then? Devices give you a decisive power advantage, but you can only be in so many places at once."

She actually managed to smile at him, amused at how his singular focus remained despite his decades of experience. "There are more ways to do battle, Takashi, than with devices and spells. I will simply use a weapon the Circles are not prepared expecting."

He quirked one eyebrow. "They are prepared for any weapon at your disposal, musume."

She shook her head, "not this one, I think. It is too foreign to their mindset."

"Many things are foreign to rabid xenophobia. That would be what makes it rabid xenophobia."

"Think about the Circles, Takashi. They have spent centuries, millenia, engaged in a generational quest to keep themselves and their capabilities secret from the rest of Terran humanity. I can't speak for anything prior to the last few centuries, of course, records are too spotty, but everything about their structure indicates they have done their absolute best to control what the rest of the world knows. They have always been hidden amongst the highest ranks, moving to keep humanity ignorant, of both themselves and of magic."

Throughout her explanation, Takashi's eyes widened slowly, and his vicious smirk reappeared. "You're going to go public."

"I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place," Hayate corrected, "and make sure the entire world is aware of just what I am capable of. Which, yes, will involve a certain amount of publicity."

------------------------------

"Oi, Mariachi."

The abrupt almost-shout behind him jerked him out of a laughing conversation with the other boys, minus Yussef. They were keeping each other company while their parents debated the attack on the school over lunch. He managed not to lunge to his feet, or go over backwards, when he jumped in surprise, but that did nothing to save him from more laughter. He ignored it manfully, however, and turned around in his chair. "Hai, Vita-sensei?"

She did no reply immediately, but aimed a glare a short distance to his right. "Up, Shiro-chan. Your parents are down the table a ways." Wisely, Toushiro just pushed his chair back and stood, then gave a display of chivalrous manners and held the chair for his teacher. She glared at him a moment, "No tricks."

Toushiro smirked, "Maybe to Laura, sensei, but I'm not stupid enough to try that with you."

Vita gave him a mistrustful look, but thunked down into the seat, turned to face Mariachi, as Toushiro moved exactly one seat further away. "Right, kid, haven't had a chance to ask yet, but how you holding up?"

He blinked at her for a second, then glanced around at the guys. "Ah, sensei? I've already had this talk with Shamal-sensei."

"Yup, didn't ask about that. You got dragged out of here pretty hard, locked up for a couple days, then had to wait for these jokers," she waved generally, indicating the other boys, "to get off their lazy butts and get you out. Haven't said a word about it, though, have you?"

Mariachi shrugged, a little confused. "Why should I? It wasn't anything major. I spent a couple days in a boring room singing annoying songs. It was just boring."

She frowned at him, "You've gotta be kidding me. You were held prisoner by a bunch of crazies, and it was 'boring'?"

He finally realized what she was after, and laughed a little, "Yeah, sensei, boring. No great adventure story, no grand tale of heroic resistance. They didn't feed me as much as you do here, and they yelled at me a couple times, made some silly threats, whined a lot more. Seriously, though... I used to get by on the same amount of food at the orphanage no problem, less sometimes, and the little ones whined worse than those Circle idiots."

"And the yelling and threats?"

He chuckled again, shaking his head. "Sensei, I've spent the better part of a year here. Compared to Laura, those guys were amateurs. Compared to getting yelled at by you, they didn't even register. It was no big. No thumb screws, no over-bright lights, just waiting. I think they were taking their time, more than anything else."

She frowned at him a moment longer, then grumbled and spun about in her chair to slump over the table. "Well that's boring! Cid-chan was unconscious, Allina just whines about not driving 'the witch' completely crazy, and you say nothing happened! Where's the adventure? Where's the action? I didn't even get to have any fun with the rescues. Had to be careful and play distraction 'til Cid-chan was safe, then Laura just had to go and upstage everyone."

"She didn't mean to, sensei," Luke commented, the laughter of moments before now missing. "Laura..."

"Relax, relax, I wasn't saying she did something wrong. It's just kinda hard to have a good stand-up fight when everyone who might give you one's fleeing in terror."

"I'm sure someone'll show up eventually who's willing to give you a good fight, sensei," Mariachi said, trying to be consoling.

"Bah, maybe. But seriously, any of you kids having trouble? Always a little disturbing, when you realize someone really is out to get you."

The six boys looked at each other for a moment, trading questioning glances. Finally, it was Marcel who shrugged eloquently for all of them. "We won. What's to be disturbed by? The Circles learned not to mess with us, and we brought our friends home. Remember, Vita-sensei, we have been training against just this sort of thing since Kyoto, under Yussef's direction. He's the general, we're his soldiers, and soldiers don't cry over a victory."

"Tche, what, you think one little fight makes you boned companions or something?" She sneered at him a moment, "Overly romantic foolishness."

"This from a woman who delights in the titles 'Iron Knight' and 'Wolkenritter'," Mariachi countered.

"Shut up! That's different! I earned those titles."

"I think we've earned one of our own," Luke commented, "we did pretty well."

"Mage Knights," Ichigo opined. "You know, we're mages, but we're fighters too."

"Baka," Vita muttered, "they're both designations for magic types. Midchildan's like you are mages, Velka like us are knights. You can't be both."

"Templars, then," Mariachi offered, "impressive historical record, ridiculous amount of stories real and mythological, and they aren't around anymore to object."

"Nah, Yussef'd pitch a fit," Toushiro countered, "justifiably. They earned their reps by pounding on his ancestors, after all."

"Give it up, guys," Marcel said with a small smile, "I've got it all ready and nothing you come up with'll compete." He hesitated a moment, making sure he had everyone's attention, then drawled, "Myrmidons. The chosen companions and battle brothers of the incomparable hero Achilles, the best warriors to take the field in the Trojan War, defeated only when their lord fell in battle." He held out his right hand flat, just above the table.

"I like it," Ichigo allowed, putting his own hand on top of Marcel's, "still got that mysterious tag to it."

"Certainly ancient and respected enough," Mariachi agreed, joining the gesture.

"Myrmidons it is," Luke agreed, and they looked to Toushiro.

"Yussef's going to laugh his pink head off," Toushiro commented, "but it should be funny to watch." He slapped his hand on top of the pile.

"Tche, silly bunch of romantics," Vita muttered. But she grinned at the time, and slapped their piled hands with one fist. "Right, I've done my bit. Just try not to tell your parents about that. If they think you're forming some kind of militant battle-mage force they'll probably take it the wrong way."

"No worries, sensei," Mariachi reassured her. "We're training to defend ourselves and our friends, now. No conquest or attacks in the works. It's just cool, you know? We're not just ourselves, now. We're Myrmidons, we'll watch each others' backs, and we've proven it. You said it's disturbing when you realize someone's really after you? It's a lot more comforting to realize you've got friends to help see them off."

She stared at him for a moment, then at the others, then grinned again. "All right, all right. But you'll never match the Wolkenritter, and we'll prove that when classes start up again."

------------------------------

_Cid-chan?_

The voice in her head was a surprise, coming out of nowhere, and it took Cidela a second of looking around to place it. There was only one person looking at her, which made identification easier. Responding in kind proved more difficult, but she managed it. _Hai, Noriko-chan?_

_Just wanted to see how you're doing. Can't get away from Mother at the moment, and you seem a little down._

For a moment Cidela just slide down in her seat, embarrassed that someone had noticed. _It's nothing._

_Liar,_ Noriko replied, causing Cidela's to jerk in surprise and stare, only to find a slight smile on her friend's face. _You always try to hide, Cid-chan. We're friends, you can tell me. I won't ever reveal any secrets, you know that. But something is making you sad, which is making the rest of us sad. We've enough to worry about with Laura, please don't make me worry about you, too._

That just made her feel even guiltier, and she slumped far enough in her seat that, sitting next to her, Shamal noticed and gave her a concerned look. "I'm all right, sensei," Cidela said softly, "just tired." _I can't tell you, Noriko-chan, it's... not right. I'm fine, I'll be fine, I just need a little time._

Shamal continued to watch her, "Do you want to step outside for a bit? I need to stay here, but you can..."

The half-finished suggestion sent a shiver of fear down her spine, and she hastened to decline, "No, thank you, sensei, I... I'll be fine. Please don't worry about me."

Shamal nodded slowly, and turned her attention back to Juliet's parents, with obvious reluctance. Noriko was more persistent. _Cid-chan, you were kidnapped. Not talking about it isn't going to help._

_It isn't that, Noriko-chan,_ Cidela replied.

_Then__ I might be able to help, Cid-chan. Even just being able to talk about a problem helps, even if the one listening never says a word. Look at me and Hayate-sensei._

Cidela wanted to protest more. It had seemed like such a clear, simple idea when she woke up in the Circles' facility, but now, here, it seemed ridiculous. Noriko was right, however, even just telling it to someone could help. _I... I realized something. But... I do not think I can pursue it._

_Come on, Cid-chan, we're learning __magic__. If you haven't learned to pursue your dreams here..._

_It isn't a dream,_ Cidela flushed a little, _more like wishful thinking._

_Wishful thinking is nothing more than dreams we're too scared to realize. What is it? Maybe it's not as unreachable as you think._

_It... it's Shamal-sensei. She's..._ She trailed off, feeling her blush increase to painful proportions. It was just too embarrassing.

_Oh, Kami-sama,_ Noriko's mental voice sounded strained, but Cidela could not tell what it meant, if she was shocked or amused. _You almost called her 'okaa-san', didn't you? When I caught you scanning me? _Surprise overrode embarrassment, as she thought no one had caught that almost-slip, only to find Noriko grinning at her. _You realize she's been hovering over you since the rescue almost as much as you've been hovering around her, right?_

_It's not the same thing,_ Cidela argued, _she's my teacher, my Master. She's just worried about her students._

_She hasn't been hovering this much over Laura and I, and we were blatantly injured. __You've__ worried at me more than Shamal-sensei has today. You think of her like a mother, what's wrong with that?_

_I already have a mother._

_Do you really?_

The question was asked gently, softly, with an understanding tone, but it still hurt. _Yes,_ Cidela protested,_ yes I do have a mother._

_Good. Now to that we've determined that, how do we go about letting her know you've adopted her?_

_I haven't adopted her! I can't... she... please don't tease me like this, Noriko-chan, it hurts._

The feeling of Noriko's contrition was a surprise, _I'm sorry, Cid-chan, I wasn't teasing. I'm serious, though. If you want to call her 'okaa-san', just do it. Even if she doesn't actually adopt you, she's the closest thing in the school to a mother._

_She's the closest thing I've ever had to one,_ Cidela countered. _My... my birth mother was always telling me not to be so smart, telling me not to talk, not to study, not to do anything, and she was always so distant. I think she was scared of my uncle. But I can't ask Shamal-sensei for that, Noriko-chan, I don't have the right to push myself into her life like that._

_Yes you do,_ Noriko answered, _but you're too shy to see it. Here's an idea. Your family officially disowned you, yes? You're under age, though, so legally you must have a guardian. I can have my father raise the issue, very politely, with Hayate-sensei, and offer to make you a ward of Japan, an orphan under government guardianship. I would be willing to be Shamal will go ballistic when she heard about that._

_No, Noriko-chan, please don't..._

_Do you want this, Cid-chan? A family that actually understands and accepts you? You've got it either way, but do you want it official? For real?_

She did not even have to think about that, the answer was painfully obvious. When she had felt Rafiq's proximity in China, come out of her trance and realize that Shamal was close, it had been the most wonderful feeling in the world. That feeling, that joy and hope, had let her overcome days of physical inactivity and magical strain to force herself to march out of that building to freedom. She desperately wanted that, the sense of security, safety, belonging that, no matter how close, friends could not provide. _I want it,_ she admitted softly, half-hoping Noriko would not hear the thought.

_Then you should probably ask for it,_ Noriko told her. _I know you don't like to push, but you're too shy for your own good. Ask her, soon, or I will. Come on, Cid-chan, you know her as well as I do. She's only waiting for you to ask her. The worst she can say is 'no', in which case you're right back where you are now. You know that even if she won't adopt you, she'll still teach you, still be Shamal-baa-san like the rest of us have been calling her behind her back. Personally, I'd bet real money she'll say yes._

Cidela felt the connection fade, but decided not to object to Noriko's enforcing the 'final word'. She very much wanted to agree with her friend, she just was... as afraid of this as her mother had been of her. That thought, combined with Noriko's obvious confidence and support, gave her the confidence to ask, "Ano, Shamal-sensei? Can... can I speak with you outside, please?"

------------------------------

Chrono slowly looked up from the data slate in his hand, taking a minute to stare at Amy. She returned her almost-glare with a worried look, not the least intimidated. "You've got to be joking," he said slowly.

Amy just shook her head. "Four separate people have already questioned Doctor Al Huri. He is quite cooperative, almost amused. He's definitely an ideologue, but not combative, merely confident. He also seems to be a little schizophrenic. He claims to hate us for our mingling of magic and technology, yet has suggested several times already that he would be interested in working with our scientific departments. All together, though, he has made no attempt to hide information, and described the Admiral precisely each time he was asked. He also insists that both of the Admiral's visits were _after _Hayate arrived on Earth. He's telling the truth, horrible as it sounds. I just hope it's someone's sick idea of a cover identity."

Chrono dropped the slate on the table, then dropped his head into his hands closing his eyes and trying to wish away the sense of impending doom, and its accompanying headache. After only a moment, though, he ordered, "contact Investigations, pass this on to them and make our own information on this situation available. Make it clear that anything around Earth is still an Ops matter, but that we will cooperate with them. Oh, and Amy, make sure the communiqué to _Asura _specifically orders Fate to inform Hayate. I don't want some paper-pusher getting her in trouble for doing what she'd do anyhow."

"Yes, Chrono-kun," Amy replied, and rose to start for the door.

"Wait," Chrono ordered, picking his head up again.

Without further explanation, he swung his desk's comm screen around, and brought up a directory. A few taps later, a perky young woman he did not know appeared. "Secure Archives, Lieutenant Katsuragi." She hesitated a moment as she identified him, then smiled brightly, "Oh! Good afternoon, Admiral Hallaoun! How may I help you?"

"Lieutenant," he returned, "My aide and I will be down in about an hour. We need to make physical inspection of a proscribed device held in the Tier Two vaults. First Admiral Nagumo and First Admiral Theonides will also be present to verify our findings. I will contact them myself, but please make the arrangements to access the appropriate vault."

She paled a little, cheerfulness fading. Three admirals, including the heads of both Secure Archives and Investigations, was a substantial collection of authority. "Ah, certainly, Admiral. What artifact did you need to inspect?"

"The proscribed device Panzerfaust."

------------------------------

Author's Note: First up, I've had an idea for a sequel, though it is going to be a while before I post more than a teaser/prologue. I'm going to try and formalize the plot more than I did for Academy Blues (i.e. - an actual detailed outline, as opposed to the general one I've been working on). I'm also writing out detailed character sheets, so hopefully there won't be more plot-stumbles such as Rafiq or the whole Allina/Niranjana surprise (and yes, they surprised me, too). All of which means I don't know when I will start posting it, save that it will be after I complete Academy Blues. The Side Stories will continue through both stories, it's proven too convenient, even if I don't post to it very often.

On a related note, one of the ideas I had while brainstorming a sequel was a _pre_quel, as in a prequel to Path of Vengeance. Because the major events are already known thanks to Path of Vengeance, it would be predictable/anti-climactic, which would be one challenge for me. The other would be, their story is essentially a romance and a tragedy, two things I don't do well (I'm a heartless cynic, sorry. Every time I see Romeo & Juliet I just wanna walk up on stage and slap the pair of them silly). So I've got a question – would anyone be interested in the story of how Takashi & Sarah met and married? If no one's interested, I won't post it, but if there's enough interest, I'll give it a shot.

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CrimsonDX: Yeah, Laura's father's pretty solid. The real-life man he's mostly based on is the only 'sane' person in his family, much as the character here is. Allina and Niranjana are just too much fun to right, mostly because Allina has turned out to have no real internal monologue. She keeps making slips like that which surprise even her. Yussef kinda had to be the one to set Laura off, but she's not entirely back to normal yet, I have yet to decide how close to her old self she'll come – she'll still be 'Laura', but no one gets that messed up and goes all the way back to how they were. Takashi has always been concerned with watching over Hayate, but you're right, this was his first chance to do so 'actively'.

TheWhiteMonk: I originally planned to just have Laura go home, talk with her father and brother, get the whole 'loving care and space' routing, but it just didn't resonate with her character. Still, Yussef's approach was rather risky, in a lot of ways. I don't think I've ever given a detailed explanation of why the Circles view devices as evil and their users as corrupt heretics, but they do have reasons. The Doctor mentioned in chapter 16 that 'our ancestors attempted to create life out of the un-living' which, given my new plans, is as much as I can share:). Sorry. Of course, as several reviewers have pointed out (or maybe one of you pointed out several times?), if the Circles had just sat down and talked to Hayate, all this could have been avoided. She does have to talk to Hughes, yet, so...

Person with many aliases: Takashi would argue that he hasn't broken faith, that he acted just as he said he would – so long as she was doing well he followed her instructions, when her enemies proved too much, he cut them off at the knees. But yes, he was quite well aware of her probable reaction to his execution of the Lords. Question is, are those notes he gave Hayate real or forged?:)

vessel of the devil: I see how you expected Hayate to call the Lords to the school, but it wasn't going to happen. At the very least, she would not want such powerful and demonstrably hostile people getting too close to her kids. Hayate's response to the Circles (remember, so far it's all been Shamal and Takashi, Hayate herself hasn't done anything) will be fully revealed shortly, as will Hughes' idea. I'm afraid I never really came up with 'identities' for the Lords, beyond their existence _as_ Lords. I have a habit of creating second and third tier characters just to fill plot needs, then not fleshing them out at all, which is what happened here. Their successors may be a different story, depending on how I decide to play out other factors.

stormturmoil: I hadn't thought of that, until you mentioned it, but it doesn't quite feel right for her. Laura's not all the way back to normal, but she's wouldn't go off the deep-end that way. Her baseline personality isn't sadistic and narcissistic enough for it. She'd make a good 'fallen hero' though... thanks for the idea!

Jellyfish Marine: Glad to see you're still reading! I won't complain, since I'm bad about reviews myself – every time I try to write one, however good the story, I turn all priggish and nit-picky. Thank's for your time!

Ray Venn Hakubi: Okay, first off, darn you and your tvtropes (dot-org, yes?). I've spent way too much time on there the past couple weeks following link after link after link, laughing hysterically the whole way. Didn't figure out 'worfing' until a couple days ago. Allina and Niranjana are a lot of fun, but they're one of those 'author surprises' that surprise even the author. I'm also kind of dancing around them, since I still think I screw up any sort of 'romance' I attempt. I hadn't really seen Yussef as a 'teacher', but you're right (factually, as well as stylistically, since he is technically teaching the Sunday class). He's supposed to be more the 'commander' type – doing what he must to take care of his people, even if that requires something unpleasant. Still, yes, it took a lot of chutzpah to push Laura that far. As for Takashi showing off, I've been deliberately trying _not _to explicitly show his strength, but to keep him as the enigmatic wild-card, but there was no way he'd take an attack on Hayate lying down.

pfeil: I think it might have to do with the lower level of 'angst', despite Laura's depression. The last couple chapters were the darkest in the story, quite deliberately. Even before Laura became such a dominant character, I planned for _someone_ to come out of China in bad shape. I'm sorry the previous chapters didn't impress, but thanks for sticking with me anyhow!

seaotter: Yussef has always cared about what happens to Laura, and to his classmates - that's always been his excuse for yelling at her, after all. Some people just respond better to brutal honesty than sugar-coated truth (me, for instance – I'd rather a kick in the pants to some wishy-washy almost-lecture). Yes, Laura is getting back to her old self, but as mentioned in other replies, she's going to be forever changed. Takashi's always been the soul of mellow – he's calm, reasoned, civil... he just also happens to be ruthless and a little prone to over-reaction. Hard to blame him, though. The Circle's organization is hierarchical, I'd say, rather than tiered. A bit of semantics, but 'tiered' doesn't imply same sort of ordered progression to me that 'hierarchy' does. There is a clear line of succession (remember, the man acting as 'Lord Asia' was a subordinate of the true Lord Asia), so technically there won't be any confusion in the Circle's command structure. On the other hand, they've taken serious losses in a very short period of time, and those losses were disproportionately concentrated in the top echelons, so... you'll see in a chapter or so.

Derek Q.: I agree with you (as do pretty much all the characters), Li was a goner. But there's a world of difference between saying 'he should die' and being the one to pull the trigger, especially when it was done so violently and suddenly by someone who had never contemplated taking a life. It doesn't bother Takashi, since he's done it before and is hardened to it, but that was the first time Laura's taken a life. The thing that made me nervous about those chapters was that, for all the power and danger of the Nanoha series, there arevery few deaths or even serious injuries, and they were all major events. Also, it was somewhat out of tone with the earlier parts of this story (though it would have fit perfectly fine in Path of Vengeance). I'm just always nervous about killing a developed character 'on screen'. I'm afraid the only Nanoha-verse ideas I've got are both related to Academy Blues, but I'll do my best to live up to this standard, or improve on it.

Sheo Darren: I'm debating if Hidan will be back. I've got some ideas, but I'll have to see if they'll fit with anything more. As for Allina and Niranjana, yeah, sorry, they were mostly developed in Side Stories (h4k0rz & Holiday Surprises, specifically). I'm not sure if Laura and Yussef will ever actually be 'friends', but they're definitely 'friendly rivals'. The aspect of Laura's personality that's based off Arf are the 'always energetically cheerful' attitude, and the appearance of carefree risk-taking – both of them appear to be utterly unconcerned with consequences, yet do actually take them into account. Admittedly, there are other characters in anime and other genres that demonstrate those characteristics, but Arf was the one who sprang to mind when I was first creating Laura. Also, though I didn't start watching it until I was well into writing Academy Blues, a shining example of Laura's sheer pre-Nimrod presence is Suzumiya Haruhi (from The Melancholy of...) – endless hyperactivity. As far as Hughes planning to betray Hayate, you still haven't heard his idea, only the arguments he made to pursue it – he might be the very soul of a Paladin, or just a slightly more devious version of Li...:) Cidela's uncle may very well get out of this unscathed (as peripheral conspirators often do), and I have no comment on the Bureau's involvement. I was originally going to have this chapter and last as a single chapter, but there was just too much ground to cover. So I hit the big one last chapter, and used this one to transition, though I'm thinking now I probably should have done it the other way around, to drag out the tension a little.

Skyfall v2.0: First off, thank you much for the compliment – reading all of this in a couple days is quite the compliment. The compliments on the style are also nice, though I'd argue the 'professionalism' – I'm far too aware of my own mistakes. I do prefer using OCs to focusing on canon characters, just because I'm always nervous about staying true to them. In all honesty, I do 're-use' characters, I just try not to in the same story. Laura, Yussef and Noriko, for instance, all share a lot of personality traits with Mitsumi, Raiden and Yohko, respectively, from my Rise of the Guardians fic – they aren't perfect matches, but they share a _lot_ of traits. Don't worry about complaints, they force me to question what I'm doing and help keep me on track. But – there's always a 'but' – I have thought of most of your points, and have some counter-arguments/explanations. Devices are a major, _major_, component of the Nanoha-verse – any mage of strength is shown with a device, and the passing of a device reduces Yuuno from 'injured hero' to 'side-kick'. Despite that, even without devices the other kids are still taking names – Cidela managed to maintain a familiar-bond over thousands of miles with no device, Allison and Noah not only secured a workroom (in Side Stories – Barriers & Brawls), but infiltrated a Circle base, and I've got a plan in the works for another chapter of Side Stories that will detail what happened to Yussef's team in New Delhi after he was separated. As for the familiars, in Chapter 17 – Senbonzakura I specifically stated that Lotte still managed to out-perform Yussef in terms of raw power and skill. Sure it was right after he activated Zulfiqar, but he hasn't gotten that much better with his device. In A's, the twins' successes never struck me as being due to any great strength on their part, but rather based on their skill and cunning. They always had better intelligence, better planning, access to most of their opponents' plans, and their choice of time, place and manner to interfere – the one time someone got the drop on them, they caved completely (which admittedly annoys me). Laura's final Bolt was over-the-top, but look what it took for her to generate it compared to Nanoha's efforts. The Bolt out-performed Starlight Breaker – didn't say a thing about Nanoha's cartridge, Barrel Shot, Plus or Excelion versions. Nanoha can throw off a Starlight Breaker out of her personal reserves without touching a cartridge, Laura dumped over thirty cartridges in one go. The terrible side effects and massive back-blast, compared with Starlight Breaker, were due to poor control. Also, from a plot stand-point, it made a wonderfully explosive end to what was supposed to be the climactic battle of the story. Fate and Chrono were, I'm afraid, something of an after-thought from Path of Vengeance, though I agree, they would make a good pair. As for StrikerS, I have said all along that I specifically am not incorporating it or anything from it into Academy Blues, or any other Deva Magic story – StrikerS didn't even start until I was several chapters into this story, and I knew going in that StrikerS would add/explain things differently than I had. I might, _might_, modify my next Deva story to incorporate some of the background from StrikerS, but I'll have to watch it myself first, and I've already heard things I dislike. I haven't given much thought to the student's specific ranks beyond which of them is stronger than the rest (Cidela is the strongest, followed by Laura, Yussef then Noriko, discounting devices). The tests and ranking system the Bureau use may very well be a product of how they train their mages, rather than fundamental capabilities, much the way the American system of higher-education degrees does not necessarily reflect intelligence (of the ten smartest people I know, only one has a doctorate, and five did not graduate from or even attend college). I will say, however, that looking at canon rank scale on Wikipedia, Sarah was, at the time of her death, a SSS rank mage (she did, after all, create an entirely new style of magic). I'm not trying to bush you off here, just provide explanations & my point of view, maybe some reassurance that I'm not just being munchkinish. Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to review!


	30. 30 Revelations

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 30 – Revelations -

Colonel Hughes' arrival at the Academy was, per pre-arranged agreement, under his own power, and in civilian garb. He arrived at a joint United States Air Force / Japanese Air Self Defense Force airbase via US transport, was flown by JASDF helicopter to Kyoto, then transferred to non-descript civilian transport arranged by base personnel. Once at the overlook, again by prior agreement, he left his own arrangements behind, and descended alone down the path, ignoring the diminished but still-obvious presence of cameras and reporters.

He found the present of the reporters to be ominous and uncomfortable. As both a military officer and a Circle mage, he had been trained to avoid the press. In the first case, it was a matter of security and media bias, as he had yet to hear of any reporter that could keep a secret, let alone one that would give a man in uniform the benefit of the doubt. In the case of the second it was their need to keep the general population from discovering the Circle's existence, or even that of magic itself. Those not born to the Circles were not prepared for the effects, possibilities, and consequences of magic. If the rumors he had heard after landing in Japan were true, that long-cherished secrecy was going to be utterly destroyed in a matter of hours, unless he could talk Hayate out of it.

Once he reached the floor of the valley, he was met by two men. One he recognized as Akira, sneering at him, but with his sword sheathed. Standing next to Akira was his mirror image, save for the fact that, where Akira's uniform was his customary white, this man wore black. Both wore a black patch on their left shoulder, barely distinguishable on the unnamed man, of a coiled dragon's head and neck. The second man stepped forward as Hughes approached. "My name is Takashi Shimazu," he stated in English, "you are here on the sufferance of my daughter, I suggest you do not forget that. Cause her to withdraw that sufferance, and you belong to me. Understood?"

Hughes frowned at that, "I am not here to be threatened, son."

"No, but you are here to speak to my daughter. I did not threaten, it is not in my nature. A threat, after all, is not necessarily going to be backed up. I gave you fair warning. Do you understand?" Hughes settled for just nodding, saving his arguments for the woman he was here to see, and after a second Takashi turned around and ordered, "follow."

Hughes followed, but was very conscious of Akira taking up positing a few steps behind him. They proceeded down the path, and out onto the campus proper. There were a surprising number of people about, mostly adults standing with their children, and he got his first good look at the students. Their parents looked on with nothing more than curiosity, but the students... the nine who were outside watched him from the time they spotted him to the time he entered the library. That number grew, as he crossed the quad, until the entire student population he knew of, save one of the girls, was watching him from the quad or the dorm. None of them said a word, made any threatening gestures, but it was painfully obvious their attention was on him, and not on his escorts. Hughes could not tell if their interest was because they recognized his nature, or because of his escorts, but it was definitely unnerving.

Takashi lead him up to the second floor of the library, into the rear of the building, where there were several small offices arranged along the rear wall. The fact that, until turning the corner into the hall, he was looking at a long stretch of shelves filled with books that apparently occupied the same physical space was disturbing, but he managed to keep that under control, and force himself to walk down the hall. He could feel a vague tingle as he crossed into the hallway, but nothing more. They proceeded down the hall to where it ended in a single door. Takashi opened it, and preceded him through, turning to hold the door open.

Hughes went in as calmly as he could, and took a moment to look around as Akira followed him and the door was closed. The office was, in some ways, surprisingly plain. At one end was a table with a pair of couches arranged around it, at the other was a simple desk with a pair of chairs in front of it, with Hayate Yagami sitting behind it staring at him neutrally. But what truly held his attention were the walls – all four were filled, floor to ceiling and corner to corner, with views of strange tortuous landscapes, apparently video-effects as he could see signs of wind motion, but no signs of life. Across from him was a scorching desert, some sort of armored serpentine body half-buried in shifting sands. Behind him was a blasted crater, ruined buildings just visible in the distance along its edges. Behind the table and couches was a vast plain that appeared to be formed of rippled glass. Worst of all, behind Hayate, he could see a blasted ruined city in a valley, the ruins about a central crater reduced to pebbles, the entirety covered by ominous gray clouds that settled over the very mountains holding the ruins.

Hayate gave him a good minute or so to take in the images before rising from behind her desk to greet him in English. "Good afternoon, Master Adept Hughes. Please, have a seat."

He knew she knew who he was, but it was still a surprise to hear her address him by his Circle rank. "Ah, good afternoon to you, as well, Miss Yagami." He walked over and settled into one of the facing chairs, noting that while Takashi moved to stand behind her left shoulder, Akira moved to stand precisely behind him.

"You mentioned a desire to discuss the possibility for peace," Hayate commented as she resumed her own seat. "I am glad to hear that. I had my fill of fighting when I worked for the Bureau, and have no desire to continue that here."

"Yes, Miss Yagami," Hughes agreed, recognizing that, while this was the same woman who had visited his base, she was no longer going to be 'nice' or 'helpful'. She was staring at him with fixed seriousness, and her voice held no emotion beyond patience. "First, I wanted to extend my apologies for this travesty. I cannot explain or excuse it, but for what it's worth, you have my apologies."

"Apologies accepted," Hayate agreed, "for what they are worth."

"I have had quite an effective demonstration of your capabilities, ma'am, so let me assure you as we begin, that I..."

He trailed off when she held up a hand. "Forgive me, Master Adept," she said softly, "but you do _not_ understand my capabilities. You also do not seem to understand the purpose behind your presence here."

He frowned at her, confused but mostly worried now. The flat tone, the flat look, both were usually signs of impending violence in his experience, but that was not her way, as he knew her, and made little sense given her resources. If she had wanted him dead, or harmed, or wanted anything other than to speak with him, she could have accomplished that far more easily by sending Akira. Still, she had been, by her own admission, one of the fallen for a decade, and the longer a fallen lived, the more insane they became. That possibility was disturbingly more likely, given the contrast between her current appearance and her appearance when she was at his base. Still, he was here to arrange some kind of cease-fire, so, "I am here to negotiate a truce, Miss Yagami."

"No," she shook her head slightly, "you are here to receive my terms for permitting you and your fellows to continue to exist upon this world." It was all he could do not to fall out of his chair at that statement, and she actually smiled slightly, not viciously but wistfully amused, and she looked a little distant for a moment, "I can do it, you know. I have in my mind all the accumulated knowledge of Sarah Shimazu, who created the style of magic I use. Her understanding of what, fundamentally, a mage is, how a linker core works, was without parallel. I have been researching her knowledge for the past day or so, looking for an answer to the threat you and your fellows have demonstrated yourselves to be, and one of the first answers I found was a series of spells whereby I can _kill _every active magic user on this planet.

"I won't, of course. There are other mages out there, those who are not part of the Circles and had no part in your crimes. But I can refine it, strike where the Circles are strongest. I won't even have to kill you. Tuned properly, adjusted ever so slightly, the same spells will instead burn you out, from the lowest apprentice all the way to you and your fellow Master Adepts. You are not here to negotiate with me, Master Adept Hughes. You are here to choose, today, between my _terms_, or my _reprisal_. You have demonstrated I cannot allow you to remain alive and free, thus this choice is before you."

Her long speech gave him a chance to collect his wits again, to get over his shock at how harsh she was being. Part of him wanted to either laugh or spit in her face, to ridicule or reject her, for making such ultimatums. He came here to try and talk out some sort of peace, and she was treating him like a defeated enemy. But... if she was even half-right about her capabilities, and willing to go through with her threats, he could not afford to risk it. It galled him to say it, and he could not help glaring at her, but all he said was, "what are your terms?"

"I, and my staff, will be provided with the full identity, location, and rank of every member of the Circles. We will similarly have unrestricted access to all members of the Circles at any time, and require their full cooperation with any inquiries we make. Member of the Circles will not operate at all in Japan without my express permission on an individual basis, nor will they conduct operations beyond mutual training and self-defense without my specific individual permission. Similarly, no member of the Circles will contact, observe, interfere with or attack my students, my staff, or my self. Any Circle member involved in this 'Operation Nimrod' is to be handed over to the Time Space Administration Bureau for trial on charges of reckless endangerment of civilian populations, illegal experiments in dimensional manipulation, and hazarding the fabric of creation through willful negligence." She slid the stack of papers that had been in front of her across the desk, "The full details are in here."

It was not a thick stack, but Hughes had the distinct feeling that it was very dense and direct. He lifted it slowly from her desk, mindful of Akira behind him, and scanned the first few pages, finding text that was just as dense as he feared, and, while not 'legalese', left very little room for maneuver. "You demand we hand over our entire organization, every member and everything we do to safeguard this world to your sole discretion? That's a bit much, Miss Yagami."

"You forget, Master Adept, that you and yours came against me in violence, without warning or contact, without even a token attempt at diplomacy. You attacked my school, kidnapped and injured my students, threatened their families, and attempted to kill me and my knights. I have nothing to prove to _you_, Master Adept, I have committed no crimes or assaulted any innocents. You and yours must prove that I can allow you to continue to exist, you and yours must pay the price for your xenophobic duplicity. I am not the aggressor in this situation, I am not the one who started this tragedy, I am not the one in the wrong. You are, you and the rest of your fellows in the Circles.

"If you and yours meet these conditions, I will accept your declarations of peaceful intentions as honest. If you do not, I will assume those declarations are merely an attempt to lull me into a false sense of security, an attempt to arrange a future betrayal. In that case, to guarantee my students' safety, and reassure their parents, I will have no choice but to continue this war you brought against me to its logical and inevitable conclusion."

Hughes could not help but take exception to that. "I have never attacked you, I argued against it! I provided..."

"No warning," Hayate cut him off, flat expression fading into a faint glare. "You had to have known of Li's plans when I cleaned up that mess at your base. Yet you said not a word, then or after, to warn me of just how far Li was planning to go, or how effective he would be at it. You are an accomplice before the fact, at the very least, and in my opinion, a willing collaborator."

"The Hell I was!" Hughes almost leaned forward, but felt Akira shift behind him just in time. "I did everything I could to prevent this!"

"I cannot accept that a man of your proven resourcefulness and skill could not send even an anonymous message from a pay phone," Hayate countered immediately, "thus you are almost as responsible as Li was. I do not care what your excuses are, Master Adept. I care only what your actions were, and will be. You attacked me with no provocation, no explanation, no reason. Now I will be certain, one way or the other, that the Circles will never do so again."

Hughes leaned back a little further in his chair, recognizing just how intractable Hayate was going to be. _She is truly not going to negotiate,_ he decided, _not now. She is too angry, too worried, and I cannot honestly argue with her. These terms, though... even if she can follow through with her threat, the Lords will never stand for these._ "I understand, Lady Yagami," he said slowly, then tapped the papers in his lap, "however, I do not think the Grand Circle will. Even with all the damage you have done in the past week, you are a long way from crippling our effective capabilities. I believe that you can do so, but the Grand Circle will not, not yet."

"The Lords are dead," Hayate stated simply.

He only stared at her for a second, not believing he had heard her correctly. "Ah, I'm sorry, Lady Yagami, but you must be mistaken. The Lords..."

"Are dead," Takashi interrupted. "I killed them yesterday, while they met in conclave in Geneva to plan their next step. You need not fear their reactions, Master Adept, merely those of your fellows."

Hughes felt the blood draining out of his face, and felt his heart stagger in his chest, his breath speeding up. It was impossible, flatly impossible. No one could kill the Grand Circle, no one could even _reach _the Grand Circle. The information he had provided Akira could have allowed the man to find, maybe, Lord America, but the entire Grand Circle was simply unreachable! "You... you're lying. You have to be!"

Takashi waved his hand, and the screen behind Hayate went blank for a moment, before a new, still, image appeared, of a conference room, with twelve people gathered around it, all turned to face out of the screen, wearing expressions of shock and surprise. A moment later, numbers appeared next to each of them, spinning up higher and higher. A smaller window opened in the screen, showing Hughes' own face, with a similar number. His stopped well before those of the twelve in the main image, but that was unnecessary. He recognized Eleanora Marterosian. Though he had not known she was Lord America, he knew she was strong enough, and the image was proof enough to break through his disbelief.

He dropped his head, folding forward slowly to rest his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. For a moment, he just sat there, unable to think past the world-shaking terror of that moment. The Lords had always been there, from the moment he first learned of magic through all his trials and lessons, through his years of mundane education and military achievement, through the political changes and base reassignments, the Grand Circle had always been there, always intact, always providing that sense of guidance and shelter. Now, his very world shaken by the absence of a constant he had never noticed, and he felt terribly vulnerable and exposed.

Despite the shock, his trained mind continued to function. While his conscious mind struggled to comprehend the Lords destruction, his subconscious continued to do what he did best. Regardless of the losses, regardless of what he had come here to do, or what he had planned, he was a Master Adept, and an Army Colonel. He was trained to deal with stress and continue thinking, to see through danger to possibility, and to evaluate changing situations rapidly and accurately.

"You need not fear the Circles, Lady Hayate, even without your terms," he said after a few minutes. "Takashi has destroyed us as an organization."

"What do you mean? Your organization is too hierarchical, too stable," Takashi's statement was almost an accusation.

Hughes shook his head, and actually chuckled darkly. "Do you know any of the history of the Circles? I doubt it. I don't know all of it. But I do know this... the last time a member of the Grand Circle died by violence was over five hundred years ago. God help us, the last time more than one died in the same year was before birth of Christ, and that was a total of two Lords, within a few months of each other. You killed all _twelve _Lords in a _single day_. The Lords only tell each other who their successors are, who their candidates for succession are. Yes, there are candidates, but none of them know who they are. No one knows who they are until they are elevated to the Grand Circle. I feared the Lords would touch off an insurrection by attempting to continue this, now I know there will be in-fighting, to determine who the new Lords are. With these terms... there will be war amongst the Circles, those who oppose you versus those who fear continuing this more than they do your presence. God save us all, civil war amongst the Circles."

"You brought it upon yourselves," Takashi rumbled. "Never do an enemy a _small _injury."

"Takashi, that is enough." Four simple words, and Hayate resumed control of the scene, "I understand how difficult this is, and that I am being harsh, but the Circles have left me no other choice, to preserve my students' safety. So, in light of the Grand Circle's... absence... I must ask, Master Adept, is there any chance of a majority of the Circles following your lead and accepting these terms?"

"I haven't accepted them yet," he protested, then sighed and lifted his head from his hands. He staid leaning forward, forearms on his knees now, and frowned as he thought it over. "You understand, I am part of the R and D division, North America Directorate. R and D has always been small, more concerned with refinements of techniques than pursuing new discoveries, studying oddities to be sure they are not left over from Atlantis' fall. The big divisions are Containment and Operations, and those usually act at cross-purposes. Operations is, of course, in charge of active operations to suppress those such as yourself, prevent the discovery of the Circles, and generally perform whatever deeds are necessary to preserve the world from magical catastrophe. Containment is responsible for making sure that any fractures are contained and cleansed, and for making sure that the few artifacts left behind by the Lords of Light remain inactive and undisturbed. Mages from Containment will tend to accept your terms, as will my fellows in R and D, and probably a lot of Admin types. Hell, most will agree just to have an excuse to keep records of each other and put together permanent communications channels. Internal Affairs will not agree, nor will Operations. The Ghosts... sorry, Intelligence types will be split, I think, as will Political.

"Then there's the regional directorates. Very few people out of Asia or Europe will accept your terms, nor will South or Central America, or Atlantis. Atlantis is negligible, islands in the Atlantic and Pacific, small populations. South and Central America will be of moderate concern, but they have their own local issues which will make them opposed, but ineffective. No one in Asia is going to be in any condition to do anything for a long while, not after the loss of the Directorate Headquarters. Europe, though... Europe has been the lead Directorate for the better part of five centuries now, and holds a lot of influence, both real and reputation.

"Conversely, most of the mages in the North America and Africa, as will India and Britain, should accept your terms in the interest of recovery. Between them, North America and Britain should just about counter Europe. India and Africa have always been questionable areas, as have the deeper stretches of the Russia Directorate. Arabia is a toss-up, there is simply too much local inconsistency and independence to predict how they will react. Australia is worse, the Circles there managed to forge some sort of connection with the Aborigines a long time ago, and are more local than Circle at this point. That is also where the highest concentration of Containment division mages is, and those folks are _always _weird and unpredictable.

"Combining division and directorate loyalties, with personal beliefs and attitudes... I would say a majority is possible, but unlikely. A significant minority is likely, but it will still be a war."

"How significant a minority? Significant enough to keep those opposed from attacking my students?"

Hughes shrugged, "Possibly, it depends in large part on how many of Operations' people accept the terms. I would not be too confident, however."

Hayate stared at him a moment longer, then asked, "Enough to prevent the use of a nuclear weapon?"

"Of course! We would never use one of those things! We've spent decades preventing their use!"

"Your Grand Circle had it listed as a primary option for eliminating me. Along with an international war, and other, slightly less unsavory, methods. It would be simple enough to do, and I have yet to see any evidence that there is no one in the Circles fanatical enough to attempt it. Can you reliably predict enough Circle members will accept the terms to prevent those who do not accept them from using a nuclear device? From attacking my students again? If you cannot, Master Adept, then I am afraid this discussion is moot."

Hughes thought furiously, debating with himself. His first instinct was to simply say 'yes', then try to both make sure of that and prevent her from ever finding out, if he fell short, just how far from that objective he wound up. Even as he began to debate that, his memory replayed Akira's arrival in his office, the ease with which he faded into it, the information he had already acquired, and Hughes realized that, tempting as it was, duplicity was not an option. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "I can't believe the Grand Circle would seriously contemplate such action... but I can think of several lesser mages who would. I won't know if I can prevent anyone from doing that, not until I can start contacting other circles and circulating your terms. How much time can you give me?"

"A week," she said, "seven days, counting today. After that, if you cannot provide me some evidence of sufficient compliance, I will have to act."

"Not much," He muttered.

"Enough to have an idea," Hayate countered, "and, as I said, all I can afford to give you."

Hughes considered it for a moment, then nodded slowly, "all I can say is, I'll do my best. I don't like it, and you understand that, eventually, the tables will turn and the Circles will remember this, but... I will do what I can."

"In that case, Master Adept, there is one more condition. A personal one, for you to answer." He frowned at her distrustfully, but she met his look with a sorrowful one of her own. "Why? Tell me why this happened, why we are caught in this impasse? Why would none of you so much as _talk _to me?"

He blinked at her, honestly surprised. _She doesn't know? Doesn't realize? She's Terran, how can she not know?_ It took him a few seconds to think it through. _She's Japanese, _he reminded himself, _and trained off-world. No ancestors in the Circles, not for generations, no Terran training._ "You utilize heretical principles in your magic, principles and ideas which once came close to destroying the world. The Lords of Light, Atlantis as it is now remembered, developed the same hideous techniques, combining technology and magic, creating artificial life-forms, merging life and technology. They unleashed monstrosities worse than your 'familiars' and used them to terrorize this world. In the end, their own folly destroyed them, tearing apart their capitol and burning out their mages. But in the process, they destroyed every civilization of the day, very nearly rendered humanity extinct, and left fractures – dimensional dislocations you call them – scattered all over the world. Everyone since who has attempted anything like that has proven to be just as insane and dangerous as they were. Talking to people who pursue your course never works, it merely gives them time to build their resources for another attack, more deaths. I would not be here now, were it not for the fact that you have proven too powerful for us to destroy. Better an uneasy peace that lets us survive and hopefully mitigate the damage you inflict when you eventually loose control, than to die now and leave this world unprotected."

She stared at him in silence for a few minutes, then leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and sighed heavily. "Ironic, isn't it, Takashi," she muttered after a moment.

"More than a little," he agreed, "but human nature, especially in societies as closed and static as the Circles. Their way is the only way, and those who do not follow it must be destroyed. We'll change that about them, at least."

"Ah, excuse me," Hughes asked, "but what do you mean it's ironic?"

"The Time Space Administration Bureau exists to prevent and repair dimensional dislocations, fractures you call them," Takashi explained, "as well as to contain and destroy dangerous artifacts, limit research into dangerous magic, and generally prevent another Al Hazred. That event was similar to your Atlantis, but vastly more destructive, affecting entire dimensions."

"The Bureau trained both of us," Hayate added, "as I explained when I visited your base. The Circles and I have the exact same objectives, yet because of our differing methods, you and yours chose to attack. Ironic, tragically so."

He considered that for a moment, then shook his head, "You claim to have the same goal, yet court the very disaster we fear. No one who uses artificial enhancements to their magic ever remains sane, you all go out of control eventually, and inflict horrible damage on those around you."

"Do you support nuclear power, Master Adept?" Takashi's non sequitor surprised him, and before he could answer the black-clad man continued, "I imagine you do, as do many Terrans. For all its faults and dangers, it provides cheap and relatively clean energy. Would you say it is safe, however?"

Hughes nodded slowly, "so long as proper precautions are taken. We know far more about those precautions than we did last century, but that's true of any new technology."

"You consider something safe, when it has been in use for a handful of decades. Then you should have no trouble relying on the safety of our devices, as the Bureau which trained us has _centuries _of experience. Yes, there are those who go mad with power, but can you honestly deny that is true about your precious Circles? With the evidence of Jin's madness so evident?"

Hughes just shook his head, "I have just as many centuries of history telling me such enhancements result in madness and destruction. Look at these scenes around you, and tell me they were not caused by such machines."

"Most of them," Hayate agreed, looking about at the scenes again. "But what you see is not simply the result of magic and technology merged. The defining factor that caused each of these was human nature, Master Adept. Jealousy, hatred, fanaticism. The four scenes you see are all that is left of once-thriving worlds, destroyed by people who sought, as the Circles did, to destroy those who followed different ways, different methods. This sort of destruction is precisely what you and yours risked in creating that null space in Egypt, one that will mar this world forever now."

Hughes shook his head, "we can seal it within a few months, that is nothing. We know far more about such things than I showed you. As I said, Atlantis left many such fractures, and our ancestors sealed them all."

She blinked at him, then asked very softly, "Truly? You can close a null? No magic works on such things, how can you seal it?"

He shook his head, "that is something you will have to ask a mage from the Containment divisions. There would already be some on site, but your own people have secured the site against everyone, including the local government."

"Make sure you get me the identities of a containment team as quickly as possible, then," Hayate told him, "and I will see to it they are permitted into the site."

Hughes started to object, then sighed, and shook his head. "I will do what I can. On all of it."

"Thank you, Master Adept," Hayate said, "Akira will escort you to the over-look."

He rose, nodded politely, and exited through the door Akira held open for him. Once again, as he crossed the quad towards the path, all eyes turned to him, but this time they were easy to ignore. The sheaf of papers under his arm occupied all his attention, and he was already debating how to go about explaining – and selling – it to his allies. Akira left him at the gate, where he found his transport still waiting. He settled into the back, gave directions to return to the helicopter field. Once the vehicle was moving, he pulled out his cell-phone, turned it back on, and called the latest addition to his speed-dial. "Maunders," he said when the other line picked up, "I'll be back in ten hours. Get everyone together, I've got bad news and worse, and we have to act fast."

She made a surprised sound, then asked, "How bad, and how fast?"

"Not over a non-secure line," he said, letting her know just how bad it was, "and fast enough to try and head off a civil war."

"We'll meet you at the airfield, sir."

------------------------------

Hayate let the scenes fade back into her normal walls, then quirked an eyebrow at the three people standing along the far wall of her office. "Well? None of you said anything, so I'm guessing you don't object?"

Fate shook her head as the trio crossed the room, "No, Hayate, no objections. I'm a little surprised, though. I thought you would be far harsher than you were. They attacked your children, after all."

"And have been justly punished," Hayate said, sighing sadly. "Part of me would dearly like to set Takashi loose on all of them..."

"I'm not that vicious," he objected, "I wouldn't do much more than frighten the ones who are left."

Hayate plowed on over his comment, "... but that would make me no better than Li, and would not be just. They have suffered as much as I have and more, those responsible are in Bureau custody and will be tried accordingly, so I have no cause to be harsh with them. What I gave Hughes-san was nothing more or less than what I told him it was, the minimum I can accept from them to assure my students' safety."

Nanoha moved all the way around her desk, and Hayate blinked in confusion, until Nanoha leaned down to give her a hug. "Thank you, Hayate-chan. I was worried about you until just now."

Hayate blinked in surprise, she had not even thought the others might be worried about her, since she was up and about now. But surprise softened into understanding, and she returned Nanoha's hug gently. "I had a good teacher, Nanoha-chan, and you taught me that lesson years ago." A moment later they let go, and shared a shaky smile. When she turned back to Fate, however, her other friend was frowning slightly. "Fate-chan? What's wrong?"

Fate's frown deepened, then she looked at Takashi, obviously debating with herself. Then she sighed and shook her head sharply. "I debated telling you this, Hayate-chan, but you have a right and a need to know. The Circles were in contact with the Bureau, at least twice."

"They filed the complaint back in the fall," Hayate agreed, "when was the second time?"

"Bureau information allowed them to create the generators that almost trapped you in Egypt," Fate said, and Hayate sucked in a breath in shock. "We did not know about that until we questioned Al Huri, but his description of the uniform, the procedures, even the documents, was precise. We can even trace which documents were provided to him. But the officer that made those contacts... was no longer an officer."

Hayate actually relaxed at that, slightly. "Oh, thank Kami-sama," she whispered, "I was worried about the Bureau, if they could allow something like this, but if it was not..." she trailed off as the down-side of Fate's explanation registered, and Fate's face fell a little more. "No," Hayate whispered, "don't say it..."

"Wilhelm Kriegsen has escaped captivity, and recovered his device, Panzerfaust. Chrono confirmed that the object listed in Secure Archives as Panzerfaust was a cleverly constructed fake. They are waiting for the report from the prison he was held in to find out what he left in his place, or when he escaped, but whoever or whatever is there, it is not Wilhelm Kriegsen."

Hayate stared at her for a moment, dreading what would come next, then turned slowly to look at Takashi... only to find him looking at her blandly, one eyebrow quirked in silent question. "Takashi? What... what will you do?"

"About Wilhelm?" He shrugged, "nothing."

For a moment she did not register that he had said anything, his answer was so short and so incomprehensible. "N... nothing?"

He shrugged again, "Wilhelm is meaningless. I told you years ago, musume, I don't hate him anymore. I don't know if I ever did, really. He is too... pathetic... for hatred. Dangerous, yes, and should he be foolish enough to come within my reach, I will kill him without hesitation. But..." he paused, then shrugged a third time, "… he is not worth the effort of tracking down, especially when he will manifestly come to me, eventually."

"You aren't going to go on another rampage?" Fate sounded just as disbelieving as Hayate felt, "You aren't worried about him attacking you? What if he attacks Hayate? He did aide the Circles."

Takashi smiled slightly, "You haven't paid much attention to him, have you, Testarossa-san? No reason you should, since he was 'safely dealt with'. Wilhelm does not risk himself in combat. _He _will not attack my musume, or myself. Look, when I served on the _Deva_, he always left all aspects of battle to me, he _never _left the bridge during combat. When he murdered Sarah, he did it by proxy, using a Lost Logia. Again here, he discovered the Circles somehow, and made contact, using them to do his dirty work. I think the next few tries will also be through them, those who Hughes does not convince to surrender. But there is no need for me to go after him, and quite frankly, even if he does attack my musume directly, she will be more than a match for him now."

"I was not before," Hayate reminded him, "I would not have been, had I not tricked him."

"That was when you were brand new to your power," he reminded her, "and when you had taken no time to study Sarah's library. You know far more now than he does, and you were always a better fighter than him. No, there's no reason for me to go hunting for him, or to send Akira after him. Wilhelm will come too close in time, and I will deal with him then. If you Bureau types, or my musume, catch him first, I'll leave him to you. But if I catch him, I will kill him. There's no need to worry about me going on a rampage, or letting Akira go on one. This time... this time I'm prepared for him."

Hayate watched him for a few more moments, but saw nothing indicating he was lying, not even a flicker of doubt. She reached out and took his hand, feeling as relieved as Nanoha had minutes before, "thank you, Takashi."

He squeezed her hand back, "Don't think I'm going to be any nicer to anyone else. I'm not changing my rules for you, for instance. But there's no reason to go after him. I have the justice I sought, what Sarah would have wanted, as he must hide from the Bureau as much as from me. That's enough for now." He drew back, and his smile turned a little vicious, "but you, musume, have something else to prepare for. What, precisely, are you going to say in front of all those cameras?"

------------------------------

Laura came out of her room when her parents called, heading down the hall then down the stairs. "What's up?"

"Your teacher's about to come on," her father told her, indicating the television, "thought you might like to hear what she has to say."

She thought about it for a minute, then nodded, and moved to sit on the free end of the couch. Part of her still wanted to just avoid the whole thing, but she had decided not to listen to that part of her, and she would have to know what was going on when she got back to school, so she settled in to listen.

Her mother leaned forward a little, looking around her father to ask, "Is she really going to tell the entire world about… all of it?"

Laura nodded, "Yeah, she is. Hopefully it'll get rid of the reporters up on the overlook. She said she was going to have Testarossa-san and the _Asura_ project the conference in real-time all over the world, big old illusions of Hayate-sensei, just to keep the doubters quiet. So, yeah… all of it."

Not two minutes later, Hayate appeared, walking on from the side, crossing in front of Laura's teachers, to stand at a podium. She looked perfectly comfortable and composed, but Laura thought she could detect a little nervousness. The fact that she had both the Sword and Reinforce slung over her shoulders, and she was in her full armor, was something of a surprise, until she thought it through and realized the two devices were part of Hayate's proof. Then Hayate began speaking in Japanese, and she recognized Allison's voice translating it into English.

------------------------------

"People of Earth, my name is Yagami Hayate. I am here today to explain to you what brought about the terrible events of the past week, and what those events foretell. I am afraid it will be very difficult for you to believe, but please believe I speak the truth. I have always made a policy of honesty, and will not turn from that now.

"To start with, since I was nine years old, I have been a practicing mage." She held up her right hand, and a soft white glow appeared. It steadied rapidly, then shifted, growing and molding itself until a featureless human figure stood just above the palm of her hand. A moment later, it began to dance, a slow sensuous motion, and she returned her hand to the podium, leaving the figure dancing in empty air. "This is a minor demonstration, a simple optical hologram, but it should be proof enough, even in this modern age. For many years, I served an off-world organization dedicated to maintaining order amongst those who use similar abilities, known as the Time Space Administration Bureau. I served that order well, enforcing the laws and maintaining peace. I retired from that service early last year, and my four Knights and two familiars, those who stand behind me even now, followed me. We returned to Japan, my homeland, to create a school. I sought to teach others born here on Earth, where I thought there was no tradition of magic, to allow my home world to join that interstellar federation as an equal. As furtherance of that, I have made myself available to the world to help contain any magical disturbances that may occur, such as that tragic accident in South Africa four months ago, which was the first time many of you noticed my presence and activities.

"I have discovered, to my dismay, that there is not only a magical tradition here on Earth, but one that is old, reactionary, and violently xenophobic. They attempted to kidnap one of my students last October, and six days ago, on the thirteenth of this month, they mounted a full-scale military assault upon my school, for no better reason than their own dislike of the traditions I learned. They did not attempt to communicate with me, they made no attempts to discover my aims, morals, or willingness to cooperate. Instead, they attacked, repeatedly. They managed, in their assault, to capture three of my students, and very nearly managed to kill myself and one of my teachers.

"This was the incident that began to attract world attention to myself and my school, attention I did not seek and would gladly relinquish. It was a sad and frightening day, one that I will regret for the rest of my life. At the same time, I look upon it with pride, for my students and their teachers responded in grand form, exercising what we taught them and what they learned from each other to turn the assault back upon the attackers and hold them long enough for my comrades from the Bureau to come to their aide. That aide is what kept the valley containing my school sealed for so long, and caused such consternation among Japan's reporters.

"Some two days later, in pre-dawn raids, my knights and students again pitted their skills against those who had attacked my school, supported by Bureau officers. They retrieved their kidnapped fellows, and returned them to the school in Kyoto. These three raids – in New Delhi, India, a castle west of Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and a Peoples Liberation Army base south of Lanzhou, China – were what brought us to world attention, for my Knights justifiably made no effort at subtlety in retrieving our kidnapped wards. The entire assault and kidnapping were coordinated out of the base in China, which resulted in the Bureau officer in charge of their response seizing all personnel in the area by the most expeditious means possible – rotating the entire region into a pocket dimension generated by her ship. Even as I speak, she and her crew are sorting through the personnel seized, sorting those who were involved from those who merely knew some of what was occurring. Those innocent of wrong-doing will be returned to their country. Those involved will, at my request, be charged under Bureau trans-jurisdictional laws concerning the deliberate creation of dimensional dislocations, fractures as they are known here on Earth.

"For that, ladies and gentlemen, is their most horrible and terrifying crime. Even as their troops began their assault upon my school, they attempted to murder me using a vicious, despicable and excessive trap in the deserts of southern Egypt. Many of you have seen the images of the vast sea of darkness that now rests there, more than have seen the crater left in China. It is a dangerous type of dimensional dislocation, one which absorbs all energy and mass that crosses its threshold, similar to a black hole but lacking in that phenomenon's long reach. These null spaces negate all magic, all life, and nothing that falls within one has ever been retrieved. They cannot be sealed, only endured, and Earth's Mage Circles deliberately created this horror specifically to trap me. In their twisted, xenophobic minds, they felt justified in committing this heinous act, solely to remove the threat they perceived in me, and very nearly destroyed this entire world."

She paused for a moment, frowning at her hands, obviously debating what she was going to say next. She waited long enough for her immediate audience to begin to stir slightly, then looked up. When she did, she was still frowning, but it was no longer a hesitant or sorrowful expression – it was determined, unyielding. "The Circles attacked me and mine over a difference of methods, a lack of understanding engendered by their refusal to contact me, and my ignorance of their existence. I know for a fact, however, that they not only knew how to contact me, but took advantage of that knowledge in an effort to gather information on my capabilities. They contacted me under duplicitous reasons, and used the information I provided them in an honest attempt to build understanding, to refine their attack plans. By doing this, by the methods they have employed and their willingness to not only sacrifice their own members, but to risk the very fabric of reality, they have proven themselves beyond the pale.

"My allies and I have, we believe, rooted out those directly responsible for this attack, those who held to the most extreme and violent views. Because of that belief, I am willing to permit the Circles to recover from this tragic conflict, to draw back from this battle they began and enter into a peaceful coexistence. Despite their xenophobia and fanaticism, we share a common goal in our ideal of protecting and advancing humanity. Because of that, I am willing to offer them an opportunity to work together towards that end, to reassure them that I am no Lord of Light, as they so blindly fear me to be. Because I am not a violent person, because I believe in giving people a chance to demonstrated the inherent goodness all human beings possess and recognize, I am willing to give them this opportunity.

"However, I cannot afford to place my students at further risk. In accepting them at my school, I assured their families that I would see to their safety, that I would do everything in my power to preserve them from harm." She reached out her hand, cupping it beneath the still-dancing figure, and that dancer suddenly accelerated, swirling out and shifting colors, until a twenty-centimeter sphere floated over her hand, a perfect replica of Earth, complete with cloud-cover, day and night halves, and the cities of the world. "This is a projection of the world as it is this very second," she explained, "a visual interface generated by sensors at my command. Through them, and through my own power, I can stretch out my hand upon this world, and snuff out the magic of every being living on it. If I must, that is precisely what I will do. I will withdraw my students and Knights to safety, and permanently remove any possibility of the Circles harming my students again. Understand that I do not want to do this, but my duty to protect my students outweighs what little duty I owe to the other mages of this world. My people and I did nothing to earn your anger or your hatred, let alone this assault upon our home, yet you came against us in violence anyhow.

"I have been in contact with the Circles since my students were rescued, a forcible contact with the one who deceived me before. I have delivered to him the terms under which I shall permit the mages of the Circles to preserve their power, the mages of Earth to retain their ability. Those terms are not open for negotiation, I cannot afford for them to be.

"To the rest of you, those of Earth's population who knew little to nothing of the magic about you, I offer my reassurances. I was trained as an officer of the law, to maintain the peace and enforce the law. I am no tyrant, I am no conniving power-seeker. In truth, I wish only to be left to run my school and teach my students, to take satisfaction in watching them explore the joys and thrills of learning this most demanding art. Yet I have this power, this peerless strength, and I assure you, I understand the responsibilities that strength entails. I have seen first hand the horrors and destruction that can be unleashed by those who seek to abuse magic, spent a decade fighting such people and cleaning up the disasters they leave behind. I will not permit such atrocities here, nor will my students.

"You live in a time of change, fast and no doubt frightening. Magic has been dormant on this world for many centuries, the few people born with the innate ability to use it co-opted by the Circles, or members of one of the smaller but equally secretive organizations that have kept each other under control. But the magic is waking now, has been waking for at least a decade now, and it will not slumber again. This is why I chose to begin teaching here, to make sure there were those who understood both what is happening in the world, and how to mitigate the effects, to make this time of change as smooth and safe as it can be. My students have already demonstrated the beginnings of such an understanding, the sort of restraint and will that I hoped to teach them.

"To all of you, mage and non-mage alike, I offer you my word, that I will do everything in my power to keep this world safe from the excesses and dangers of magic. I am not perfect, for all my power I remain only human, but I have the knowledge and skills to safeguard this world, and that is what I will do. I was doing it even before the Circles learned of my existence, and will continue, long after this crisis passes. I have saved this world once before, and I will do so again, whether I am asked to or not. And yes, for the more exacting among you, that is both a promise, and a threat. I fully realize that I am not a nation, not a government, but I would remind you of Edmund Burke's maxim – 'all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'. I am not perfect, but I strive, ever and always, to be 'good', and I cannot do nothing. Trust in me, and I will prove that trust well-founded time and again. Try my will, and you will find that my will is adamant.

"Now, I anticipate several of you ladies and gentlemen in the immediate audience have some questions. Please be patient, and I will answer them as best I can."

------------------------------

Hughes turned the television off with a sigh, dropping the remote onto the table. "... and _that_ is what we have to deal with."

Sitting across his desk, turned about to view the television off to one side, Sergeant Maunders asked, "Was she serious? Can she really burn us out?"

"Akira pointed something out to me while we were walking out," Hughes said, laying his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Her knights can teleport several light-years, and cross a handful of dimensions at once, and roughly a dozen circles could not completely suppress them. _Hayate_ can teleport several light-_decades_, across tens of dimensions simultaneously. If she doesn't need to get there 'right now', she can fly... at several times the speed of light. I know you're not a physicist, Maunders, but you've hung around here for a couple years now, so you should have some idea the sort of energy that sort of speed would require, the sort of control. Can she do it? Maybe. Can we afford to take the risk that she can? No."

Maunders considered him for a few more moments, then nodded, "Understood, sir. The others'll be here in about twenty minutes. Should I tell them anything?"

"No," Hughes shook his head, "just make sure the recording of that speech is ready for playback, please. I want to make sure everyone's seen it before I hit them with her 'terms'. Make sure there's nothing stronger than soda available, though, and make sure someone's in the mess all night. I think this is going to take a while, and we'll need something to eat later on."

"Yes, sir."

------------------------------

"Hey, squirt, I hear you've been having a bit of trouble."

The jolly, half-joking voice in her ear was irritating beyond belief, almost as bad as Yussef, making light of her fear and pain, yet Laura could not begin to get mad. She had been waiting for this call, dreading and desiring it in equal measure, ever since her father talked to her at the Academy. "Yeah, Nii-san," she sighed back, taking the hand-set back down the hall to her room, "a bit of trouble."

"You want to talk about it? Or hear about my new girlfriend?"

Laura made a face, "Ick, you and your girlfriends. You know Shelly's still pining away back here in Exeter, don't you?"

Brian chuckled, "why do you think you've never seen any of my infamous 'girlfriends'?"

"'Cause you're afraid what Mom would do if she saw one of tramps," Laura shot back as she closed her door and began pacing slowly.

He chuckled again, and she could picture him shaking his head, "Nah, 'cause they don't exist, Laura, 'cept the one back in Exeter. Long story, and probably not as interesting as your 'bit of trouble', I'm betting."

Laura sighed again, realizing that, joking question or not, he was not about to let her dodge this conversation. "You're worse than Dad," she muttered.

"Who do you think I learned it from? It's amazing how much smarter that man's gotten as I've gotten older."

"Aho," she muttered.

"Does Mom know you use words like that?"

She blinked in confusion for a moment, "'Aho'? It's Japanese, means 'idiot', roughly. Which you are."

"No, no, no, I'm a Marine. One who's still waiting to hear what's got his little sister all sad and mopish."

She growled back at him for a moment, then muttered, "Dad already told you, right?"

"He said you saw combat, but no details. Just that you're taking it pretty hard."

"Well, duh," she muttered, "It's not nice to realize you've got a temper so bad it'll make you kill someone."

Brian was silent for a few seconds, contemplating that, then muttered, "yup, survivor's guilt. Sort of kinda, the type us Marines are used to. You got into a firefight without being trained for it, got the worst of it, and now you're feeling guilty for getting the other guy before he got you. It happens, especially with green troops like you."

"I've trained to fight," Laura protested.

"Yup, you've trained for the mechanics of it. But I seriously doubt any school Mom and Dad would let you go to is going to put you through the sort of pscyh-hardening the Marines go in for."

"No, but Dad and Yu-chan do," Laura muttered, finally giving up her pacing to flop onto her bed. "Dad talked to me already, and someone gave Yu-chan the bright idea of trying to set me off. Lucky for him I'm used to not getting mad at him."

"Yu-chan? Isn't that supposed to be a cute sort of 'I like you' nickname? Does Dad know you like this boy that much? I haven't met him yet, and don't think I approve on general principles."

"I do not...!" Laura snapped back, but trailed off as she realized he was laughing at her. She let him go for a second, then growled, "I know how to reach through this phone line and render you mute for the rest of your life, you know that right?"

"Relax, Laura. Though I do feel sorry for any boys you do show an interest in. Dad's going to make their lives absolute Hell. But to get back on subject, Dad talked to you, so you've gotten the reliable 'learn control speech' already. What was Yu-chan's contribution?"

"He beat some sense into me," Laura replied. "I still feel bad, I went way overboard in China, way too far, but... yeah, not so bad. Not wondering why I bother anymore, just... wondering if I can go back to doing it."

"Damn, squirt, you are way too young to be thinking about this stuff."

"Yeah, well. With great power comes great responsibility," Laura muttered, "one of Hayate-sensei's sayings. I've got all this power, and was just forcibly reminded how true that statement is."

"Tche, Spider-man rip-off," Brian countered, "true, though. We're taught something similar. But think about this, Laura. Marines are some of the deadliest fighters in the world. Oh, sure those SAS and SEAL pukes are tough, but there aren't nearly as many of them as there are of us. Think about the martial artists you know, I know you know a few. We're all ridiculously deadly, _when we need to be_. That's what you need to learn, Laura. How to turn it on and off, how to be dangerous when the situation calls for it, and not dangerous when the situation doesn't call for it. Then you have to learn how to tell the difference between the two situations."

"Yeah, I know, it's all about control."

"Yup, and you're way too young to have to learn that control. I mean, come on, squirt, I'm still learning it. The Marines never stop teaching that. I don't think your Hayate-sensei's going to, either." He gave a heavy sigh of his own, "you're way too young for this. But... I think you can do it. You've come this far, done this much. The fact that you survived at all tells me that."

"Yup," Laura agreed, "control, control, control. I already figured that, and I'm going back to learn that control."

"Well, good!" Suddenly Brian sounded all smiled, "now that the boring psych stuff is out of the way, it's time for everybody's favorite part of combat ops."

"Milk and cookies?"

"The debrief. Usually accompanied by beer and MREs, but since you're underage and on the far side of the world, I'll compromise. I'll have the beer, you go get whatever."

"I'm not in Japan right now," she reminded him.

"Yup, kinda figured that since it was Mom what handed the phone off to you. Can't tell you where I am, since we're not real sure I'm supposed to be here. So, you still haven't told me what happened. Step by step, squirt, everything you did from the instant the mission started."

Laura seriously did not want to do that, to relive the whole battle again, but this was her brother. He had fought off bullies for her, taught her to protect herself, kept her secrets from Mom and Dad, and always been her best friend. So she did, progressing through the battle from initial teleport, all the way through returning to the _Asura_. Brian stopped her frequently, asking questions about this or that spell, ranges and power, her speeds and limits. Once she had gone through it, he had her do it again. It became surprisingly easier the second time through, she managed to sort of – distance – herself from events and simply recite them.

The second time through, he said not a word, until she finished. "So. What was your first mistake?"

"I shouldn't have played around so long with the two small-fry," she said easily, "delaying that long left Li time to observe me and learn my skills and capabilities."

"Wrongo, dog-breath," Brian drawled slowly, "your first mistake was forgetting your mission. Your job was diversion and distraction, instead you dove head-first into toe-to-toe combat. How many mages did you fight?"

"Three."

"How many did the rest of your team fight?"

Laura started to answer, then realized she had no idea. She had been so focused on her own battle that she had not paid the least attention to the _main _battle. "I don't know," she admitted, "a lot."

"Uh-huh. What you should have done, as soon as those three got themselves all focused on fighting you, was pull back, fade away, then hit some of the mages attacking your main group. You'd already prevented the PLA troops from responding in time, it was the mages that were the problem, and most of them were already engaging your main force. See? Never forget your mission objective. Screwing up your orders is generally fine, so long as the objective is accomplished. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, I'm enlisted, squirt! I work for a living."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, leatherneck."

"Careful, fairy-girl, or I'll tell Dad you've got a boyfriend. You ready for mistake number two?"

"Dad would never believe you, and yeah, I'm ready."

Brian proceeded to take her through every stage of the fight, as no one had yet done, telling her point by point where she went wrong. In some ways, it was significantly harsher than she would have expected, she found herself becoming very angry at first. Not only had it been only her second battle, but her most dangerous and traumatic, and he was rubbing her face in her inexperience. But, as they continued on, she realized that he was being far from cruel. Cold and harsh, yes, but not cruel. He was showing her precisely where she had made mistakes, but also what she should have done and how to avoid those same mistakes in the future. He was, as much as Signum-sensei, teaching her, though in a different way.

When they had finished that, he moved on to Li in particular, and the two of them analyzed every step of that battle, every move she tried, every counter she pulled, every thought she had, every emotion she felt. He picked the fight apart, and her responses, telling her again where she had made specific mistakes, but again how to improve.

Hours later, when he wound down, she felt like a wrung-out dish towel, and Brian sounded nearly as tired. She had broken down and cried several times, yelled a few more, and nearly hung up on him several times. But now, there was nothing left, she was just too tired. She could tell, though, that this was different from when she had woken up after China. She was tired, empty, yes, but there was no sense of terror or loss, just tiredness, waiting.

"Thanks, Brian," she said after a couple minutes of silence, "really."

"No problem, squirt," he said. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Probably would've been anyway, but... thanks."

"Anytime, Sis. That's what big bothers are for. I've gotta get moving, get some sack time before I'm back on duty. Tell Dad I said hi?"

"Yeah. Stay safe. I think I'm going to have to do this again sometime, and I want a known expert handy."

He chuckled, then repeated, "anytime, squirt. Good night."

------------------------------

Brian flicked the switch to close the line, and slumped back in his chair for a second, before reaching up to remove the heavy headphones. He dropped them on the desk in front of the satellite phone, then turned to his left and extended his hand. The man sitting next to him, just removing his own headphones hesitated a moment, giving him a questioning look, then smiled, nodded, and returned the handshake. "Thank you, sir," Brian said, "I owe you one."

The other man shook his head, "Not a problem, Private. Your little sister's had one pisser of a week, and she's stood up to it impressively. I was glad to help, especially after I saw that press conference. Even worse, I saw that two-hundred-meter hologram of her floating over the city rattling on in Farsi."

"Yeah, not the sort of thing you want your kid sister to get caught up in, but she came through in the crunch." Brian agreed, standing up and stretching a little, "right now, though... man, if I could get my hands on one of those Circle bastards..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

"I understand. I've got family of my own, Private. All of us do. You're right about going on watch soon, though. Go hit the sack."

"Yes sir."

Brian headed out of the tent into the cool night air of the desert, and the other man watched him go. Once he was alone, he turned back to the satellite phones, and picked up the headset again, settling it on his ears before sliding the microphone over to himself. He pulled a crinkled piece of paper out of one pocket of his field uniform, studied the number for a minute, then dialed it.

The other end picked up on the third try, "Hughes."

"Colonel Garreth Hughs, United States Air Force?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Major Alistair Zaitzef, United States Marine Corps," the man replied, hesitated a moment, then continued, "Tier three Master grade, Ops. Your number's been making the rounds, Colonel. Usually frowned upon, but I hear you have an opportunity available. I'd like to discuss it, if you've got the time."

------------------------------

CrimsonDX: Yeah, the 'Bureau contact' was a debate for me. Originally it was going to be the bureaucrat from the first chapter, but I couldn't reconcile that with the way the info was used. Said bureaucrat still has a bit part to play, but not that one.

TheWhiteMonk: The attention she is getting now is one reason Hayate made her original return so quietly, so yeah, she's not going to enjoy the publicity and controversy. But it's in defense of her students, so she'll put up with it. Yes, the Circles have heard of overkill, and generally consider it a preferable option to failure. But that document could very well be a fabrication on Takashi's part, and Hughes doesn't believe it... on the other hand, Li only hesitated in order to try and 'rescue' the students. Come to think of it, I'm not sure a nuke would be overkill – I'm not certain how strong a shield Hayate, or Hayate and Takashi, could build. Laura is getting better, the last major stage played out above, and despite some objections, I like the idea of Cidela winding up with Shamal. As for the Myrmidons... it came from me trying to come up with something to call Yussef's guys other than 'Yussef's guys', and I posted it to be Marcel and the boys joking with Vita-sensei, but the more I think it over, the cooler it sounds (at least to me). May play a part in the sequel, may not.

pfeil: Given your opening statement, I'd probably say because the last couple chapters _were_ full of poorly done angst... okay, I don't think it was that poor, or I wouldn't have posted them, but it was there. As for the balance of combat and studying, I've found that even a simple fight scene, if it has any relevance beyond 'this happened' requires far more exposition and time than almost any other situation. It's not as bad in writing as in role-playing, and I flatly deny falling for the DBZ-phenomenon, but combat takes a while to describe – too much is happening. As far as the school scenes go, thanks, though I can honestly admit I've never done more than contemplate looking at any HP fanfics ('cept a couple really bad cross-over attempts that required brain-bleach:).

Kell Shock: Not done yet, though just one more chapter left, I think. Hayate's presentation to Hughes (and the rest of the world) is above, though only his reaction is given. See what I told TheWhiteMonk about the Myrmidons – it was supposed to be an 'in story joke' but I'm liking it more. Shamal and Cidela are mostly done, as far as Academy Blues goes, though I've got an idea for a Side Story. The prescribed device was Admiral Wilhelm Kriegsen's device from Path of Vengeance, as explained above, and Chrono's response... well, it'll depend on which admiral and how much they try to stone-wall him. Oh, and please don't ever compare my writing to that multi-color-evil-that-shall-not-be-named again, or I'll have to track you down and beat you with a nerf-bat:)! Gah, ick, no! I need more brain-bleach!

Tormenk: glad you've enjoyed it, and thanks for reviewing. The TSAB trouble is complicated by the fact that, technically, it _isn't _the TSAB, but a criminal who _used to be _TSAB, though given how close the local branches of the TSAB are to Hayate, that won't be much protection. The sequel will be coming along eventually, but I'm still debating the prequel idea.

seaotter: Noriko's injuries are just a matter of time, as are Laura's at this point (especially after this chapter). Cidela's pendant is not a true device, it's a training tool. A true device can handle multiple flows of energy, store spell information, perform some automatic tasks, and anticipate its wielder. A 'training device' like Cidela's can only handle a single power flow at a time (in her case, the energy channeled to Rafiq), has no real memory or processing power to remember spells or act independently, and has a lower limit of power channeled. The training device can mimic some gross effects of a true device, which gives the student some exposure and experience to prepare for when they use a true device. It's not necessary, as evidenced by Nanoha and Fate themselves, but a 'safe step' on the road. I've got an idea for what Laura will use in place of Hicho, though it won't show up until the sequel. Takashi is mellowing (dammit), though as far as his choice of tactics backfiring... maybe, maybe. But that's true of all tactics, isn't it?:) The cellular organization the Circles use is common with terrorists, but also with intelligence agencies, covert ops forces (to a lesser extent) and police under-cover operations, all for the same reason – limiting exposure. It's much, much harder to find and eliminate a properly maintained cellular organization (though in all honesty, the Circles aren't as good at it as our average terrorist or intelligence group). The reveal was and wasn't showy – but then Hayate isn't – just enough to convince people not 'in the know' that she's telling the truth. I repeat :) still not sure if the Myrmidons will be more than a one-off reference. I'm afraid that last chapter and this were probably the only times I'll mention Panzefaust in Academy Blues. It's moment of glory, so far, was at the end of Path of Vengeance.

Skyfall 2.0: Glad I could improve your day, here's another try at it:). I've got an idea for what Laura will use as a weapon, but it won't show up here in Academy Blues, I'm afraid. The nuke idea is excessive (personally, I think that 'land war in Asia' idea was more excessive), which was why I put it in there – still could be Takashi covering himself against the one person he cares about:). The revelation has happened, and some of the world's reaction will appear in the next chapter, though most of it will have to wait for the sequel. Cidela and Shamal are a relatively minor plot point (though I like it, so there:), and it's mostly just tying up a loose-end I didn't like having hanging about. In all honesty, Cidela's character was created to be one of the kidnapped students, so I tried to make her sympathetic without making her central, though she did become more central than the other two kidnapped students. I didn't want to leave her an orphan, or send her back to Egypt, and I find the idea of Shamal and a mini-Shamal to be amusing, so... Sorry it didn't click, hopefully it'll work well enough in the sequel. I wasn't aware of how Starlight Breaker worked officially, all I knew it as was Nanoha's strongest single attack – I stand by my prior arguments, though. As for non-lethal magic, I'll be working on that explicitly in the sequel, for reasons that should be clear next chapter, possibly using your idea. Thanks.

Natimus Prime: Well, not being able to pick out what you liked about last chapter could be good (it was all good!) or depressing (it all sucked!), I think I'll go with interpretation number one, though:). Sorry for the delay on this chapter, Hayate's speech and conversation with Hughes were not cooperating.

stormturmoil: yeah, helpful, sure... like an 'evil Laura' won't get me burned at a stake:). Laura's just gotten her biggest assist, the sort of detailed moment-by-moment analysis and review that will get her fully back on her feet. As for being afraid of becoming a killer instead of a warrior, that's always a concern for any warrior or soldier, isn't it?

Sheo Darren: No, not entirely accurate in every possible interpretation, but... the students and parents are once again gathered, as they were at the start of the school year, and Hayate is once more faced with proving her strength and righteousness, so it does fit. It's also the best I could come up with out of four or five tries. Sometimes titles are easy, sometimes they're hard, this one was hard. Noriko's parents are actually based in large part on the same people Laura's parents are based on, just with a few other parents I know mixed in – which point I didn't fully realize until I went to write last chapter. I can see your point on Takashi and Hayate, but, no offense, ick – I seriously see them the same way Takashi does, as (a particularly odd) father and daughter. Niranjana and Allina are definitely amusing, but Vita and Mariachi... no offense, but you have some strange ideas (I'd probably peg them as sister/brother thing, more than romantic). As for Cidela, see my response to Skyfall 2.0 – I would appear to have succeed in making her sympathetic! Victory! Yeah, we Americans do tend to be blamed for random nukes, probably since we're the only country to ever really use one, and because we're so bloody honest when we loose things (there's still one in a river-bottom in Louisiana or Mississippi, I think, that the Air Force lost back in the fifties/sixties, for instance). Sorry, no dragon-Takashi overshadowing the press-conference. To be honest, I don't think he'd even be there, he prefers to be the unobserved mystery-man type. Oh, and so far as I know, Kriegsen's parents were married when he was born, so the proper term would be 'monstrous excuse for a damned traitor'.

SpaceBrotha: There've been occasions when I wish my mother acted like Noriko's, as opposed to the sarcastic type she is – until she almost does, at which point I go back to being very glad I got the parents I did. I agree, the Japan/China war would have been worse than the nuke, mostly due to scale, but I do think the nuke idea was excessive... but then, Operation Nimrod was excessive, as well. Thanks for your support, though:). As I mentioned above, I'm not at all certain a nuke would have worked...

Ray Venn Hakubi: I know R&J is a tragedy... but the prequel would be as well (and I still want to slap those two every time I hear about that play), so, yeah. Of course, I don't care for most of Shakespeare's tragedies, though the one time I saw King Lear performed it was pretty good. I've been plowing through the anime section of and it's started invading daily life... I've pegged a couple people at _work_ as falling into one or two! I'm trying to spread the pain to my friends and family, though, hopefully it'll help:). Definitely funny as all get out, though. Cidela did not so much 'have the conversation' as 'make the decision' prior to last chapter, she just didn't go over it with Shamal. Earlier scenes (mostly the one from chapter 19, the winter vacation) kinda sorta hint at it, though. Yes, Panzerfaust was Kriegsen's device, and Chrono's investigation is probably going to be a part of the bridge between AB & the sequel, though that would be a good idea for a short parallel to the sequel... something to think about I hadn't thought of. I was tempted at one point, when I decided Hicho was going to be destroyed, to have Akishino send Laura to Hattori Hanzai in Okinawa, but decided that would have been too over the top and referential. Had a better idea for Hicho's successor, though, which will show up in the sequel.

shinseieikyu: I do try to keep my readers interested and entertained, yes, though I try not to use too many cliff-hangers (keeps them effective, that way). I'm afraid Nanoha, Fate, Chrono and the rest will fade back a bit now. I'm not certain how much part they'll play in the sequel, at least initially, though with my current idea, everyone and their brother's going to be involved by the time the sequel finishes. As for the China crater, here's what happened in detail: _Asura_ created a pocket dimension anchored to the ship of a certain size (I think it's implied by certain things Lindy said in the original series, and how certain things appear, that Bureau warships actually consist of several such pocket dimensions anchored to the main hull). Then that dimension was opened up over the China site, lowered down to bedrock, and closed again – sort of like the jaws of a grab-dredge. Once that was done, Fate and her mages seared the walls and floor of the crater to seal it. The only way out after the dimension was closed was through the enforcer-controlled anchor in the _Asura_. It was complicated, not practical against a coherent enemy, but accomplished just what Fate wanted – delivery of an unequivocal message.

Morgan: I really hope you're still reading to see this. Thanks for reading, and for reviewing. As far as Yussef's restraint, 'discipline' is one of his greatest strengths and defining characteristics (at least, it's supposed to be). I'd argue if Natalia's idea of ensuring audience attention is assault or not, but I'd probably respond like you, myself.


	31. 31 Resolutions

**Academy Blues**

By: Daishi Prime

- Chapter 31 – Resolutions -

Author's Explanations: 'MP' is short for Military Police – specially trained enlisted personnel and officers responsible for enforcing law and order on military bases and camps. Leavenworth is the name of a famous US Federal and military prison.

------------------------------

The first attempt on his life came on his own base, at the hands of one of his own personnel, tough fortunately not one of his friends. He stopped in at one of the labs to discuss scheduling experiments with the lab's various users, and one of the interns, a Harold Dargrave, tried to shove a knife in his back. Hughes was distracted at the time, talking to one of the other scientists, and was just as surprised as everyone else when there was a flash of darkness, a thunderclap of noise, and Harold was sent flying across the room, crashing into the wall with bone-breaking force. Hughes reached him first, to find him unconscious but alive, and holding a short, heavy hunting knife that, to his trained eyes, glowed with magical energy.

A shiver of power drew his attention up even as the others began to crowd around, and he held up a hand. "Back up," he ordered, "give me room. Thomas, call the medics."

As the scientists backed up, and his aide trotted over to the phone on the wall, the source of that shiver stepped through the encircling men without paying them the least attention. Akira strolled over, giving the collapsed Dargrave a curious once-over, even going so far as to nudge the man's foot absently. "Well now, he was certainly an idiot."

Hughes put it together in a moment, and frowned as he rose to his feet, "What did you do?"

Akira quirked an eyebrow at him, "Nothing. My Lord, however, placed a simple ward on you to make sure that no one other than he ends your life. Your continued existence is important to his daughter's safety, therefore he will keep you alive. Will you be able to handle this one, or should I bring him to my Lord?"

Hughes glared a moment longer, then ordered, "get off my base. Good as you are, you're liable to get shot by one of my guards, especially after this stunt." Akira just smiled at him, and wavered a moment before vanishing just as the MPs piled in the door.

The second, and far more worrisome, attempt came a month later, though it turned out to be as much a blessing as a threat. Called to the Pentagon to explain Hayate's announcement – and the evidence of his own involvement – to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom the Circles had always remained out of to avoid publicity, he was walking from the Metro to the underground entrance of the colossal building when a massive bolt of power slammed to a halt mere centimeters from him, launched from the escalator leading to the street overhead.

Part of him had been annoyed, after Dargraves, to be indebted to Takashi and Akira, given how much he despised the pair of them. But he was not above taking advantage of their interference, and while Takashi's automatic defenses took care of the incoming attack, Hughes merely stood still and focused on finding the attacker. It was not hard, the woman was now airborne, flying towards him slowly, raining bolt after bolt on him, face twisted into a snarl of anger and determination. It was obvious she was the focus of a wolf-pack, and he just shook his head as Pentagon security responded.

"You picked a bad time, child," he called out, "assassinations are better performed in less public and less well defended places."

"Shut up and die, traitor!"

"Oh, yes, such a mature argument," he countered, "but you know, the wolf-pack's a bad idea against me." He gathered his own energies, part of him marveling at the unwavering strength of Takashi's shield. The spell he built was complicated, and he was somewhat surprised Takashi and Akira did not arrive to interrupt while he was building it. The woman attacking him just floated closer while he built it, but she stopped her direct attacks, in favor of building her own stronger spell. He paid her no attention, until his own was finished. He looked up to find her still working, smiled, and released his spell, "EMP."

The pulse was instant, a twisting warping sensation that very nearly made him sick to his stomach, even prepared as he was. Its effect on his attacker was worse, tearing apart the spell she was building, her shields, and her connection to the supporting circle. She screamed, in fear and pain, as she plummeted to the concrete floor of the Metro station, landing with a sickening crunch. She was surrounded in a heart-beat, and by the time Hughes made it over to her, Sergeant Maunders had already melted out of the crowd and begun building a binding on her.

"That's a nasty, nasty, spell, sir," Maunders commented absently.

"That it is," he agreed, "too bad it's not strong enough to overcome a device."

"You sure about that?"

"Mostly," he shrugged. "I'm not about to test it without permission."

"Smart of you," Takashi commented from overhead. "It would work, in a basic sense, against typical device users. That would be why I'm here, actually. You managed to damage Akira with that little stunt. Why didn't you use traditional methods?"

Hughes looked up, and frowned at finding both Takashi and Hayate there, "Because I'm not a fighter, I'm a scientist."

"One of the few reasons I have to trust you," Hayate commented. She set down next to the still-unidentified woman, held out one hand, and wrapped her ribbons of white energy. When the glow faded, there was a faint pattern of white lines on the woman's skin, and she was completely unconscious. "She will no longer be able to utilize magic," Hayate informed him, "so your superiors should be able to question her easily." The young woman turned to face Hughes, frowning slightly. "I am concerned, Colonel. This makes the second attempt on your life in as many weeks. I realize Takashi has taken steps to protect you, but would you like us to provide you a permanent body-guard? I should be able to arrange something through the Bureau."

Hughes had to struggle not to glare at her. Here she was, the very reason his own people were now trying to kill him, and she had the gall to offer to protect him? "I have no interest in any protection offered by you and yours, Miss Yagami. I would prefer, in fact, if Takashi removed his spells."

She shook her head, "No, Colonel, not anytime soon. You are too important to our hope for peace to risk you. I will not force a permanent guard on you, but if you change your mind, you know how to reach me."

She and Takashi teleported away, and he just shook his head and turned his attention back to the woman now being checked over by an Air Force paramedic from the Pentagon's duty staff. "Corporal, once you're done with that, I think she should probably be held here in the Pentagon, until arrangements can be made to transport her to secure observation elsewhere. She had a number of accomplices, who will probably attempt to free her immediately, or worse."

A brief conversation between a couple Metro cops, the duty MPs, and a Virginia State Trooper agreed, and the still unconscious woman was carried to the Pentagon first-aid station to await secure transport. Hughes followed her in, having arranged to give his statements after meeting the Joint Chiefs, Maunders and the rest of her team at his heels. At least he now had a concrete incident he could use to prove his loyalty to the US – arguing she had only attacked him to keep him from explaining to the secular leaders of the nation what the Circles were.

"She had a point, sir," Maunders commented. "My troops and I can handle it right now, but you and I both know the attempts so far have been individuals, personal initiative. The hold-outs are disorganized right now, reacting. Once they get their act together..."

"By the time they do," Hughes answered, "I'll either be a non-entity in Leavenworth, or have an organized structure of my own to rely on for protection. No, I'll rely on my fellows for protection, not some foreigner I could never really trust."

Still, as he and his entourage wended their way through the maze of corridors and stairs into the brain of the United States military, he could not help feeling depressed. Two times now, people who just weeks before were friends, or at least allies, had tried to kill him. Just the fact that someone was trying to kill him was depressing and frightening, but that it was fellow Circle mages made it infinitely worse. Even the slew of calls he had received from all over the world looking to join his endeavor, enough to force him to re-route his old phone to an answering line, could not remove that sense of sadness and loss. In attempting to save the Circles, he was destroying them, and he had little to no idea what would emerge from the chaos.

------------------------------

The remainder of the school year passed in relative quiet. The Circles made no further attempts on the school, not even probes of the newly reinforced wards. The media attention died down to almost nothing, though it never quite disappeared. Governmental attention also faded, though contacts from other nations for information were frequent. Even the students seemed to give up their wilder antics, all of them seemingly exhausted by the excitement of Operation Nimrod.

The Circles lack of activity was easy enough to explain. While for a month or so the attacks on Hughes were the only signs of trouble, in late March a series of incidents occurred that could only have been magically enacted. Two were simple terrorist incidents, explosions targeting organizations that had, in the wake of Hayate's revelation, publicly revealed themselves as belonging to the Circles. Several more were drawn out magical battles, in three cases ending only when Signum or Vita arrived in response to requests for assistance from putatively uninvolved governments. Who was attacking who was always up for debate, and there even appeared to be fighting within each faction. Whatever was going on, wherever it was, it was quite obvious to anyone who paid attention that the Circles were quite thoroughly occupied tearing themselves apart.

Even the news that Kriegsen was on the loose, and apparently had been within days of his arrest, could not put a damper on her spirits. Chrono was beyond furious, as was the entirety of Investigations. The being who had stood trial and served Kriegsen's sentence was a holographic AI, constructed with Deva magic, and the object held in Secure Archives labeled as his device was a clever fake that possessed just enough magical energies to fool basic scanners. But while Kriegsen himself was nowhere to be found, only the testimony of Doctor Al Huri said he was interested in Earth. Hayate found she could not worry about him, as she knew far more about Deva magic than the last time she had met him, and Takashi was on hand this time, making far too strong a position for Kriegsen to attack, now that she was aware of him. The fact that she managed to built a structure of Deva wards that _Takashi_ had trouble finding helped greatly.

The fading media attention was somewhat easier to explain. Hayate began by simply denying anyone permission to use the overlook, which was part of the campus property. A few enterprising types attempted to use the shoulder of the road, until police forces sent them on their way. A few die-hards settled for hiking in, usually setting up on the far side of the highway from the overlook, but that was complicated by the fact that the local landowners did not allow them to remain after finding them. Most reporters, however, settled for sending in inquiries by phone or email. Hayate, similarly to Hughes, had hire an answering service, and refused any and all requests for interviews or access to the school, though she did agree to answer prepared questions sent via email, which responses were inevitably portrayed as major news events.

In a way, it was the public reaction which Hayate found most disturbing. For the most part, it amounted to little more than a collective shrug. The vast majority of people seemed to regard her announcement as a cross between a hoax, and a non-event. There was outrage over the kidnapping attempts, outrage over her people's responses to the kidnappings, but that was mostly about their actions, not their methods. Most of the world's population did not seem concerned beyond making sure this newly revealed aspect of the world would not interfere with their lives, and it soon became apparent that far more than one press conference was required to overcome centuries of denial and skepticism.

Despite the majority reaction, a significant number of people, especially as Circle mages began coming forward publicly, seemed to be genuinely interested and even ecstatic that magic was real. There were some 'crazies', as Laura termed them, who had some very strange theories about how it all worked, but they were far less common than Hayate had feared, and definitely outnumbered, at least in the public eye, by those who either knew enough of magic to explain it, or were seriously interested in finding out. That tide of serious interest gave her hope for her home-world, and she found she needed it quite often, as the Circles' self-destruction became more public and more violent.

Much more disturbing, and the major cause she needed that sense of hope was the large number of what Laura termed 'stupid crazies'. Ranging from those who thought magic could somehow miraculously fix whatever problem they had (and even a few who, to her embarrassment, tried to declare Hayate a deity), to those who decried magic as utterly vile and without redeeming facet (including those who attempted to declare Hayate the devil incarnate). Either extreme made all of them, teachers and students alike, distinctly uncomfortable, especially given how the extremists all focused on Hayate as their respective icon. Only Japan's traditionally reserved culture, the school's remote location, and some questionable assistance from various Japanese police agencies kept those extremists away from the school, but nothing could keep them from media attention.

With the students, it was quite clear that the excitement, fear, and general energy level of Operation Nimrod and the resultant rescue attempts had simply worn them out. For days afterwards, none of them had the energy to do more than go to class and study. Even Laura's return did not raise the students' energy levels appreciably, as she immediately took to disappearing again whenever she could, usually in company with Signum. Still, Hayate did not worry about that, knowing it would take time for her students to bounce back from the stress and drain of those few days. Sure enough, her children were mostly back to their inquisitive rambunctious selves by the middle of April.

Which was not to say they had no adverse reactions to the attack, they would have had to be more than human for that. There were nightmares, moments of stress and fear, and a definite increase in interest in magic's more combative uses. Shamal managed to handle the psychological problems, though Noriko found herself pressed time and again to approach Hayate privately, as her fellow students took to approaching her for guidance and reassurance. Still, none of that was any worse than what Hayate had expected, though she was very happy as such incidents slowly faded as June approached.

Despite the assault on the school and its attendant disruptions, Hayate was happy to find that, by the time June rolled around, they had regained all the lost time from their planned schedule, and managed to get almost as far ahead as they had been at the end of January. The progress, and her student's precocious capability, was not enough to convince her to revise the curriculum for next year's new students, but it did give her a beginning baseline to start reconsidering the assumptions on which that curriculum was built. Just the fact that, despite what had happened, her children were dedicated and skilled enough to catch up warmed her heart.

Time continued its inexorable march, however, and the second week of June rolled around with depressing certainty. Hayate became ridiculously nervous as her children sat their final exams, just as she had before the winter break, but managed to hide that from most of them. Noriko apparently figured it out, enough to be amused, and Cidela certainly did though she was too polite to mention it. Once again, as their exams wound down, Hayate refused to reveal their results, only promising, "They'll be available before next semester." The universal consternation that woke was too funny for words.

The last day of the school year rolled around, and once again her children were packing to return home, but Hayate was mostly content with that. She had provided each of them with an improved version of the beacons distributed in December, and they had all learned a great deal, more than enough to protect themselves until help could arrive. They all planned to return the next year, and she had solid confirmation of that from most of their parents.

Hayate herself spent most of the day in the dormitory's dining hall, talking with those who wanted to, helping locate missing items, and mostly just enjoying the serene chaos of sixteen teenagers preparing to move. Despite the occasional floating object – and floating student – it looked like everyone would be ready to go on time the next day, unlike the first day of winter break when everyone had been scrambling to find that last minute item they _swore _had already been packed but was nowhere to be found. This time it appeared everyone was going to be ready on time.

Noriko was the worst of the students about pestering her, trying to trick her into revealing something – _anything_ – about the student's final grades. But Hayate enjoyed teasing the princess, and managed both to avoid revealing anything, and avoid teasing her too far. Most of the other students seemed to be torn between excitement at going home, and sorrow at going home, but happy enough on balance.

The worst problem among the students, however, proved to be Laura. Since her return after China, she had been relatively quiet – not withdrawn, but not as hyperactive and extroverted as she had been. The absence of pranks had been worrisomely easy to adapt to – until the very last day. Laura seemed to be determined to make up for the past three and a half months of quiet in a single day, and so far had been doing an exemplary job. Waking the entire valley with a stirring rendition of Tchaikovsky's _1812 Overture_, accompanied by fireworks, would have been amusing, had it not begun precisely at dawn. Over the rest of the day she had set off innumerable other pranks – exploding drawers, missing luggage, more musical numbers, and of all the students only Noriko and Yussef were going home with their original hair color. 'Trying' did not begin to describe Laura's antics, but Hayate did not really have the heart to chastise the girl as she probably should have. Just seeing her laughing hysterically again, or cackling maniacally as she flitted from one prank to the next, was too wonderful a site to complain. Most of Laura's classmates agreed, though Yussef and Vita were both straight-forward in their reactions to the general tricks. Whenever they did though, Laura would just smile enigmatically and reply, "Wait your turn." The fact that, throughout the day, she never targeted either of them with any pranks had Yussef and Vita both on edge and very jumpy by the time dinner rolled around.

Dinner was, as before winter break, an 'all school' affair in the dining hall, and as before winter break, everyone took the near ends of two neighboring tables. There was a little more division this time than there had been in winter, with most of the boys clustered together, but the conversations were still free-flowing and all-encompassing. This time there was no surprise, however, when Hayate rose after the desserts had been cleaned up, just polite watchful silence.

"I know the school's a little young for traditions," Hayate began, as Signum and Vita began walking down the tables, handling out small boxes, "but there's no reason we can't establish some as we go, for the hopefully many students to follow in your footsteps. Signum and Vita are now providing the first of them. All of you have demonstrated remarkable growth in control and strength, and these will help you go further. You can open them, now." There was a flurry of motion as twelve of the sixteen opened their 'presents', to find discrete silver necklaces with small clear-gemmed pendants. "Those are, like Cid-chan's, training devices. You'll find detailed instructions underneath, and they are easily adjustable if you prefer not to wear it as she does. Using them is simple enough. Wear it for a few days, you should begin to have a feel for it trying to draw power from your linker core. Allow it, and when you want to cast a spell, use that sense of draw to channel the energy. The rules from winter break are still in effect, but somewhat relaxed. Just remember, be careful. Don't try anything too exciting with the training devices, just get used to them. Next year, we will begin teaching you how to get the most out of them, and begin constructing devices for those of you who followed the rules.

"The other tradition I'd like to establish is how well you have all done. Despite the unpleasantness in February, you have all done extremely well, in your studies and in your relationships, and you have made us all proud. Especially proud of how well you came together and how well you performed during the crisis in February. You performed brilliantly under dangerous and frightening conditions, and it was much thanks to you as to us that the crisis was resolved as well as it was. You all need to be cautious at home, aware that elements of the Circles may try to capture or harm you again, but we will keep a close eye on you, and you are all skilled enough to protect yourselves until we can arrive. Your emergency gems have been improved, so our response times will be quicker and more discerning.

"Despite that, I doubt you will have much trouble from the Circles or from anyone other than possibly the television crews." Everyone chuckled at that, remembering how exasperated they had all become with any and all reporters since February. "Just be polite to them," Hayate continued, "and let your parents get rid of them. You are all minors by your nations' laws, so no one can press too hard without risking serious penalties. You have a few weeks off, I suggest you relax and enjoy yourselves. Next year will be worse, I promise."

As Hayate went to pick up her drink for the toast, however, Laura stood up from the far end. When she had everyone's attention, she looked about, fidgeting with unaccustomed nerves. When she was obviously contemplating sitting back down, Hayate said, "Go ahead, Laura, what is it?"

Laura twitched, then nodded and stiffened her spine. "Right. You all know I've had trouble since China, and you all pretty much know why. Suffice it to say, my magical control's excellent, but my temper's not. To put it bluntly, I don't and can't trust myself, Yussef's little display for our families aside. It would be too easy for me to go too far again in similar circumstances. I can't trust my control over my temper." She paused to take a deep breath, then continued in a slow, surprisingly formal tone, "Thus I call upon all of you present here today to witness my oath. Upon my honor, upon my soul, upon my magic and my hope for redemption, I swear today that I will never again kill a thinking being."

There was a moment of stunned silence, as no one – except possibly Signum – had expected anything like this out of her. Even Hayate was uncertain what to say to such a fundamental and sweeping oath. Yussef was the first to reply, rumbling back, "So witnessed." Seconds later, the same reply issued forth from everyone else at the tables, including Hayate.

Signum stood up as soon as it was over, walking around to stand next to Laura, staring at her over crossed arms. Laura just looked back, and shook her head, "I know we talked about it, sensei, and I know you think I shouldn't have done that, but I had to. I can't trust my temper, but I can trust my word, and I trust all of you to hold me to it."

Signum just nodded, and continued to stare at her for a minute, and silence reigned as Hayate waited, wondering what her Sword Knight was thinking. Finally, Signum spoke, in the same tone Laura had used in her oath, "Do you, Laura Sims, swear to preserve the Mistress of the Night Sky against all threats, even at the cost of your own honor and life?"

Hayate almost fell into her chair at that, her heart freezing in her chest as she choked out, "Signum! What are you doing?!"

"Swearing in a new Wolkenritter," Vita commented easily.

"She can't do that!"

"Um, yes she can," Vita said, and had the gall to grin at her. "You're the Mistress of the Night Sky, Hayate-sama, but you're not Wolkenritter. Only a Wolkenritter can extend or challenge an offer of membership, and we all agreed a few days ago to offer Laura a place, when Signum felt she was ready."

Before Hayate could formulate a response to that idiocy, Signum said, "Well, Laura?"

Laura visibly swallowed, then dropped her head, and shook it slightly, "I'm sorry, Signum-san, but I can't. I'm not ready yet. Thank you for the honor, but... I can't."

Signum stared at her for a moment longer, then nodded slowly and reached out one hand to squeeze Laura's shoulder. "An honest response, if not the one I was looking for. You do have what it takes to join the Wolkenritter, you just don't recognize it yet. You have taken the last and most difficult of our three oaths on your own, which tells me you are ready. So, I will withdraw the offer for now, and reconsider again in the future. My patience is not infinite, however. Refuse too often, Laura, and I will stop offering."

Laura looked up again, and nodded, "I know, Signum-san. I'll do my best, but if I'm never ready, I'll just have to deal with that. But I'm not ready now."

Signum nodded again, then frowned slightly, "Since when do you not call me 'sensei'?"

"Um, since just now?" Laura blinked, then chuckled a little, "I, ah, wasn't sure you wouldn't be angry when I said no."

While Signum reassured her apprentice, Hayate reached out mentally, _Signum? I am not certain that was wise. Laura is a student, not a knight._

Signum glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, _it was wise enough, Mistress. As I told her, she has already taken the most difficult of our three oaths. As for her not being a knight... consider her device, and how she uses it. Laura is Wolkenritter in all but name. She reminds me of Nanoha and Fate – magic is everything to her, and she will never give it up. If Lee's death did not dissuade her, nothing will, and she is too much the warrior to ever be anything else. She has the honor, the drive, the will, and the natural aptitude. All she lacks is the skills and experience. Even her refusal shows she is coming into that experience. Just think of her as a less-experienced version of Vita._

Hayate found herself uncomfortable with the idea, but also unable to argue with Signum's reasons. Laura was everything Signum said she was, but she was also a child. _I know Nanoha, Fate and I were younger when we joined the Bureau,_ she countered, _but I did not want to put any of my kids in such a position, either. She's too young._

_Laura is never going to stop being a child, you know,_ Shamal commented, somewhat primly. Only standing defenses and fast reactions had kept the healer's hair blond that day, but the same had not sufficed to save her from the mundane water-balloons that had accompanied Laura's signature prank-spell. _She is too wild, too hyperactive. I agree she has the requisite qualities to be one of us, but she has shown today that, whatever else happens, she will always have that childishness. Besides, as you heard her, she has refused, feeling herself unready._

_I believe Hayate-sama is discomfited not by who we offered a place to,_ Zafira interrupted, _but by the fact that we offered a place to anyone at all._

Signum actually had the gumption to look confused by that, even as Hayate felt herself blush in embarrassed confirmation. _Is he right, Mistress? Why? I would think what happened in Egypt would prove that we need more Wolkenritter, though not with any serious urgency. I almost died, Mistress. Had I fallen, if one of us is to fall in battle, who will be there to take up our duties? Laura is not the only student I would consider for the Wolkeritter, just the only one to earn a place this soon._

Hayate shook her head, _I... I just don't like it. The four of you are my knights, my friends and companions. I don't want anymore knights._

_I am sorry, Mistress,_ Signum told her, _I thought you understood when we discussed it in May. With the Circles and our usual responsibilities, we need more members. New members would not replace us, Mistress, and the children already follow you as loyally as we do._

_But you are more than just my knights, Signum, you are my family, and I do not like others intruding on that._

_They will not,_ Signum promised, _any more than they already do as our students. You already refer to them as 'your children'._

_And you have already accepted Cid-chan, even if the paperwork is not finished,_ Shamal reminded her.

_I am sorry,_ Signum repeated, _I had thought you were ready for this, Mistress. I will not ask her again until you are both ready, I guess. Though, as a Wolkenritter, I must remind you that who we induct into our Order is our business, Mistress._ The slight smile took the sting out of it, but it was still a surprise to hear.

_I'll try to work it out,_ Hayate promised, _I'm just... not comfortable with my kids doing this so soon._

Her knights sent her their assent, but a fifth voice chimed in at the last moment in a surprisingly sarcastic tone, _Thank you, Mother._ It took Hayate a moment to realize it was Laura, giving her a pixie-grin. Hayate shook an admonishing finger, but let the joke slide, impressed that Laura had managed to eavesdrop on the telepathic conversation. When she picked up her glass this time, no one interrupted her. "A toast," she reminded them, and every glass was raised, "To magic, to knowledge, and to the exploration of both for the betterment of our world."

"To magic!"

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Author's Notes

Here ends Academy Blues, the second story of the Deva Magic Stories. It's been a longer and wilder ride than I planned, but I've had fun, and apparently so have all of you who've stuck with me. For sticking with me, you all have my thanks. Those of you who reviewed, even just once, have my thanks again. I learned a lot before and during writing this, and I think it shows markedly, though I can still see weaknesses. Not the least, I need a better handle on my planning, and 'wrapping up' took longer than it should have. It would be going even longer, except I now have plans for a sequel, so I've left a few loose-ends for that.

To those eagerly awaiting the sequel, all I can say is... hold your breath. Go on, I dare you:). Seriously, it's going to be a while. I'm working my way through character-sheets to help me keep all the students, teachers, allies, antagonists, and not-so-innocent bystanders straight, and I have a general idea of the plot, but I have yet to start actually outlining it. I'm going to try and have a solid outline before I start writing & posting the sequel, to try and avoid the surprises that caught me out in this story, and the long stretches where chapters gave me trouble. Please be patient, and I'll try to make it worth the wait.

Thanks again!

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Kell Shock: Yeah, Hayate's got some issues where threats to her family are concerned, comes from being an orphan, I think. Her ability to deal with all mages on Earth is pretty scary, but it's also complicated. Her threat, and the debate over responses to it, is a large part of what is fueling the Circles' civil war. As for 'fanboys' and would-be students, Hayate's school really is 'invitation only', and despite her revelation, the only information publicly available on it is a single phone number and the general location – which is entirely private property in the middle of a preserve belonging to the Imperial Family. So anyone attempting to bother her is going to have trouble doing so. But you're right, I would be interested in studying at her school.

SpaceBrotha: Sorry to hear you weren't (hopefully weren't) feeling well. It was not so much Hayate's terms that shocked Hughes, as her complete unwillingness to negotiate and Takashi's news. He went in expecting to talk about terms, and instead received an ultimatum, then had half his world torn apart in a matter of seconds. There's a difference between planning for he worst, and getting smacked with it – I'd say he did react quickly and well, given the scope and speed of shocks he got hit with. When discussing power, remember, it takes far more skill and strength to build and heal than to destroy. Had Takashi and Sarah ever seriously fought, he might have won because he was the better warrior, but Sarah simply knew more about magic in general and Deva magic in particular. As for how strong he is compared to Hayate... it's a debatable point. Hayate has access to all of Sarah's knowledge, but she only has experience with a small fraction of it, while Takashi has all of it. Yet Hayate has more recent experience in fighting an equal opponent. It would be a toss-up as to who won. I'm familiar with the tzarbomb, though like the MOAB it imitates, it makes me laugh (for the same reasons Laura laughed at the Hellblade), and Kriegsen's escape is not being ignored, but Takashi is not Akira – he's willing to wait patiently for Kriegsen to make a mistake, rather than go hunting him and possibly leave Hayate vulnerable. As for a nuke not working, you're right about how large the area of effect is, but unless it landed within a quarter-mile or so, a strong enough shield could withstand the blast and thermal effects, long enough to teleport out at least. Still wouldn't be fun, and it would require some sort of warning, but it would be possible – at least for Hayate and Takashi working together.

Seaotter: I'm afraid that this is the end, no more batteries, but there is a sequel. Haven't read Dan Brown, but most 'secret societies' that want to realistically stay that way follow a similar structure. I'm not even sure Hughes has a daughter, though he's had better luck in his career than poor Maes Hughes (from FMA, I assume you were referencing?). All the offices are in the Library building, I mentioned it in one of the first couple chapters, though I forget which. Allison was providing translations into American English, while the other students provided translations into their own language. Brian's just a big brother, protective of his younger sister, though I think he would get along well with Yussef (at least as long as Laura wasn't around). As for the Major, I just thought that would be a funny twist, and a way to show that the Circles are wide-spread and all-pervasive, much as the descriptions of their post-Nimrod activities above were. As for the zip-file request, apologies, but no. This is pretty much the closest I've got to a 'website', and provides a modicum of control that I don't think a mass-download site would allow. As for saving copies of my stories: go to "File", "Save As", change "save as type" to 'plain text'. Repeat for chapters, attaching a numerical designator to the end of each save file name to keep them in order. That's what I do for stories I download. Though, like every story on FFN, I retain the copy-right and while I give permission for you to download and read, I refuse permission to repost or edit – not trying to say you would or be mean or anything, just trying to avoid future confusion, and I've lost a couple writers I liked on here to folks stealing their stories, so I'm a touch paranoid about it. Sorry about not answering your PM, also, I was going to but lost track of it amidst my e-mails.

CrimsonDX: The apocalypse Hayate threatened Hughes with is actually three spells – a scrying spell to locate the targets, a specialized cross of scrying and communications magics to create a link to all those cores, and a third spell to draw power from those cores to the point of burn-out. Sufficient shields (i.e. – a non-device mage would have to do nothing but shield) could hold it off, and it would take her several days to truly carry it out, mostly to accomplish the detailed scrying, though once she has a link to a target core it would be almost impossible to break that connection. It would be difficult for Hayate to pull off, but utterly devastating if she did, even if she did not get all the Circle mages.

Sheo Darren: Yes, Hayate was pretty impressive-scary last chapter – it's probably the whole 'ultimatum with force behind it' thing. Cidela and Shamal do fit well together, but that's because I designed Cidela around Shamal, so yeah, it's cute. Unfortunately, here's the last chapter until the sequel.

A Cannon: As I explained to CrimsonDX, Hayate could do it, she was not making an idle threat. What makes it a borderline bluff is, she might not be truly willing to carry through, given the high probability of crippling or killing innocents. I honestly am not certain, give the high probability of collateral damage, but Hughes certainly believed her, as did the Circles in general, probably because they _would _be willing to do it, if they had the capability.

Marine Brother Shran: Yup, I knew about the languages used in the series, and probably should have had Paradox use German. But I don't speak it at all (not even at the 'handful of words' level I can manage in Japanese), so I decided to cheat. I think what varies the styles is more outlook than language. Mid-childan magic is flexible and (relatively) peaceful, a 'jack of all trades' magic, concerned with safety and stability and proven methods. Velka magic is combat oriented and willing to take risks with unstable magic – Chrono said something at one point in A's about the original Velka being Mid-childans who were simply more aggressive and less risk-averse. As for Deva magic, it's about manipulation of the underlying fabric of reality (whatever that happens to be) rather than direct applications of power – a lot of it's power comes from it's unique nature rather than inherent strength. As for languages, I tend to think they reflect user attitudes rather than hard-and-fast laws: English for the high-tech common Mid-childan types, German for the militaristic Velka, and I never came up with one for Deva magic (though it would probably be English again, since that was Sarah's native tongue).

stormturmoil: Hayate was probably bluffing, but would have been stopped by her morals rather than ability or will. Akira could not manage the spells – he's actually created & powered by the Hellblade, which relies on Takashi's old Mid-childan linker-core, not Deva magic. As for Takashi being able to manage the combo – maybe, but it's not his style. He would have to learn a couple of complicated spells (the scrying & linking spells) that are outside his usual area, first off. Second, even the original Akira went for mass-murder only when he thought he could not get at Kriegsen directly, while Takashi's more of a personal combat/precision assassination type. Takashi would definitely have the will, but probably does not have the spells (more from lack of interest than lack of ability). As a comparison, Nanoha can't call down lightning and plasma effects – not because Fate's a terribly stronger or more skilled mage, but because it's not her style. Hayate definitely has the capability, though. It's just a question of if she could handle the casualties and collateral damage.

shinseieikyu: Thanks for the compliment, & you're welcome.


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